Sisters admit they were 'creeped out' after bizarre photo discovery
The sisters behind the viral vacation rental photo mystery tell Fox News Digital they were initially "creeped out" after realizing they recognized the people in the framed image.
A family's unusual discovery in a rental home that left some TikTok viewers shocked finally has an explanation.
Libby Birrell and Aubrey Birrell, two sisters from Utah, recently went viral on social media after checking into an Airbnb rental and recognizing members of their own family in a framed beach photo hanging on the wall.
In an interview with Fox News Digital this week, the sisters admitted they were extremely "creeped out" by seeing the picture.
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They were at a rental home in Oceanside, San Diego, with about 30 relatives to celebrate their grandfather's 80th birthday in early July, they said, when they spotted the photo.
"The moment we saw it, we made everyone come up and look, and they were all in awe," Aubrey Birrell said. "I started FaceTiming my friends because they all know my family. They were in shock, too. It was crazy."
Fox News Digital reached out to Airbnb for comment.
Social media users compared the discovery of the photo on the wall to scenes from a horror movie as they commented on the sisters' viral video. At left, Libby Birrell; at right, Aubrey Birrell. In center is a portion of the photo. (Fox News Digital; Aubrey Birrell via Storyful)
"The first time we were sleeping, I will say we were creeped out," said Aubrey Birrell, 26.
It felt "really strange," she added. "Did they know we were coming? We were just feeling a little confused, a little eerie, but also it was just shocking."
They soon asked the host about the photo — who explained that the home's decorator is a San Diego photographer who takes aerial beach photos and enlarges them as artwork for vacation rentals.
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"We're looking at this picture, and my dad is like, 'This looks like me,'" Aubrey Birrell says in the viral video.
"I'm like, 'Dad, what?' ... No, this is my dad. That's my sister, Libby, from 10 years ago, and that's Brady, my brother, 10 years ago," she says as she points to the family members she sees in the picture.
The sisters behind the viral wall photo mystery told Fox News Digital that millions of reactions from other people changed the way they viewed the bizarre coincidence. (Fox News Digital)
"We have those swimsuits," Libby Birrell, 19, adds in the video. "We are literally in this picture."
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The sisters said they believe the photo was taken about 10 years ago at either Mission Beach or Imperial Beach during one of their family trips for their brother's soccer tournament.
"We remember the swimsuits. We remember the time. We're pretty confident," Aubrey said.
"She must have captured us when we were there," said Aubrey Birrell, speaking of the photographer.
While the family's mystery appears to be solved, some questions remain.
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In comments on the viral video, users claimed they'd spotted what appeared to be the same beach photograph hanging in other vacation rentals and homes in other states — including Florida. The claims were unconfirmed, but the idea was unsettling to some people.
The viral video prompted a mix of amusement, alarm and a few similar stories.
A family's San Diego rental home stay took an unexpected turn after they spotted themselves in a beach photo displayed inside the house. (Aubrey Birrell via Storyful)
"A lot of people were telling us we should leave, that it was like the start of a horror movie," Aubrey Birrell recalled.
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"A lot of people also shared similar experiences, like seeing themselves in a picture frame at a store or spotting themselves on a pamphlet in another state. It was kind of cool to hear those stories."
Libby Birrell, in yellow sweatshirt above and at right, reacted with disbelief after recognizing what the family believed were their own swimsuits in the beach image. (Aubrey Birrell via Storyful)
The older sister said the home's host even offered to give the family a copy of the beach print.
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Today, the sisters said they're amused by the discovery.
Social media users compared the Airbnb discovery to scenes from a horror movie while reacting to Birrell's viral video. (Aubrey Birrell via Storyful)
"I feel all right with it. I was telling [our host] that if we could get a print from the photographer, that would be so cool, just so we could always remember it. I think it's fun," Aubrey Birrell said.
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"And if anyone else who stays at that [rental home] sees the video," she added, "they can go look for the picture."
