Basically, there were a handful of geologists and volcanologists scattered around Mount St Helens when it erupted in May of 1980, who knew full well the danger and were ready to document the event in person right up to and including their final moments. Stashing their cameras into bags and glove boxes in the last seconds as they were enveloped by ash waves and pyroclastic clouds.
Really great interactive google map cataloging victims, survivors, and historic files of the St Helens eruption: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1CchUgw_ngpBJ14-X8Ecza5I2D8HwQ9YE
And some more context for OP’s meme, specifically: https://thatoregonlife.com/2022/05/mt-st-helens-eruption-images/
Basically, there were a handful of geologists and volcanologists scattered around Mount St Helens when it erupted in May of 1980, who knew full well the danger and were ready to document the event in person right up to and including their final moments. Stashing their cameras into bags and glove boxes in the last seconds as they were enveloped by ash waves and pyroclastic clouds.