Brazilian man, 22, survives 20m fall after harness broke during pendulum jump as joke to celebrate his divorce
- Rafael Tostas suffered fractures to his face, neck, back and lower back in February
- The 22-year-old had finalized his divorce and joked with his cousin and friend about performing the jump to celebrate the end of his marriage
- The armor wrapped around Tostas broke in midair, plunging him into the shallow end of the pond
A Brazilian man who tried to lighten his mood after a divorce and tried a pendulum jump is lucky to be alive after the rope snapped and plunged him into the shallow end of a pond.
Rafael Tostas, 22, joked with a cousin and childhood friend that he was seeking relief from the grief associated with the end of his marriage when they accompanied him to a popular tourist spot in Campo Magro, Curitiba, on Feb. 11.
Two days before the jump, he was scolded by his mother when he started talking about the daredevil jump.
What he didn’t know was that the pendulum jump, almost identical to bungee jumping, would almost cost him his life.
Rafael Tostas suffered fractures to his face, neck, back and loins after a pendulum jump accident in Brazil. The 22-year-old attempted the jump, similar to bungee jumping, and crashed into a pond after the harness he was tied to broke
Still image of 22-year-old Brazilian Rafael Tostas after he dove off a platform during a pendulum jump attempt, nearly killing him
Footage filmed by a friend shows Tostas, who would be 22 in three days, dove off the platform as two men watched before the safety harness snapped in the air.
“After the divorce, I wanted to enjoy it in every possible way,” Tostas told Brazilian outlet G1. “I did a lot of crazy things. I didn’t value my life at all.”
The young man was airlifted to a local hospital, where doctors found fractures to his face, neck, spine and lower back. However, the lumbar fracture did not extend to his spinal cord area.
Tostas recalled seeing several other people jump without issue before his turn. Moments before his jump, he joked that the rope wasn’t strong enough to withstand his weight.
Two people stop their canoe shortly after Rafael Tostas crashed into a pond in Campo Magro, Curitiba
Rafael Tostas broke his face, neck, back and loins and has been undergoing physical therapy sessions for the past three months. He said the accident left him with pain and weakness all over his body
Tostas says surviving the accident gave him a new outlook on life. “You start seeing life and everything. Not that I didn’t care before, but I didn’t look at it with that look,” he said. “My life will never be the same. I don’t want to be that Rafael I was before”
He remembered opening his eyes and being surrounded by strangers who advised him not to move.
He tried to get up, but felt “a very strong pain.”
Tostas has been attending physical therapy sessions for the past three months. The accident has caused ongoing problems such as lifting heavy objects and pain and weakness in various parts of his body.
The near-death experience has given Tostas a new perspective on life.
“You start to see life and everything. Not that I didn’t care before, but I didn’t look at it with that look,” he explained. “My life will never be the same again. I don’t want to be the Rafael I was before.”