Moment tourist’s bungee rope snaps, sending him plummeting into the water below and knocking him out
Witnesses captured on camera the terrifying moment when a tourist’s bungee cord snapped during a 10-story jump, knocking him out as he plunged into the water below.
Mike, a tourist from Hong Kong, was brought to safety after the elastic rope he was tied to broke during a swim in Pattaya, Thailand, in February.
He reportedly sustained injuries to the left side of his body, chest and lungs, and was taken to a nearby hospital by staff.
A Hong Kong-based news outlet claimed that the activity park only compensated Mike for the cost of the bungee experience and for the cost of the emergency room.
Mike is depicted falling off the crane with the rope tied around his legs
The rope is pulled as he falls through the air
The video shows Mike falling with his arms outstretched.
As the slack bungee cord is pulled illegally, he spins around a few times before the rope above him snaps and falls.
Mike dives about 100 feet before the disturbance, leaving him to free fall several feet into the water.
The video cuts out before Mike lands, knocking him unconscious.
Photos after the incident show him limping and being helped by bystanders.
The staff reportedly gave Mike a document in a mix of Thai and English to sign before the jump, which he believed was an insurance policy.
After he climbed a crane, the staff tied a rope to his feet and pushed him from the highest point.
He regained consciousness underwater and was able to swim to the surface, where staff helped him out of the lake.
A photo shows the damage to his armpit, one of the first parts of his body to come into contact with the water.
Doctors at the hospital gave him painkillers for the injuries but said he would be fine.
Most of the damage was to his skin, but he also contracted a lung infection likely caused by swallowing the dirty water.
Mike was refunded the (approximately) HK$500 (£52.30) he spent on the experience and the staff covered the HK$1800 (£187.86) emergency medical expenses.
But for the park to reimburse him for his medical bills upon his return to Hong Kong, Mike must abdicate the park’s responsibility for the accident, he said.
Mike claimed he spent more than HK$50,000 (£5,219) on medical expenses as a result of the accident.
According to the American Council on Science and Health, deaths occur in 1 in 500,000 bungee jumpers.
This makes it 50 times safer than canoeing – but the numbers only take into account deaths and not injuries due to a breakdown.
Five people were reported to have died from bungee jumping between 2015 and 2018.
This follows with the 18 deaths in 16 years recorded between 1986 and 2002.
Image shows the horrific moment when the rope above him broke and he fell down
Image shows Mike (in white) after staff help him out of the lake under the tap in Thailand
Image shows one of the injuries tourist Mike suffered after his bungee rope broke
In 2018, a 20-year-old nurse from Colorado died when her harness came loose during a 70-foot fall at the Get Air trampoline park.
The company said an inspection found “the device, straps and triple carabiner were intact and functioning normally, with no apparent damage.”
They ruled out the device as a factor in her death.
The theme park in Pattaya, Thailand, has no name.