Bungee jump fail: Horrifying moment woman smashes into riverbed caught on video
A thrill-seeking woman got more danger than she bargained for when the length of her bungee jump rope was overestimated, causing her to plow straight into a shallow riverbed.
The daredevil posed for pictures in front of a crowd of spectators on Sunday before leaping from La Negra bridge, only to crash head-first into the bottom of the ankle-deep river below.
READ MORE: Horrifying footage shows moment bungee jump ends in tragedy (VIDEO)
Upon hearing the loud splash of the woman’s body hitting the surface, horrified bystanders looked on in shock as two people rushed to help her.
The woman was unable to move and could only open and close her eyes following the accident, according to Shyrleny Cuchallo Ribera, who witnessed the shocking fall.
The travel agency, who reportedly organized the experience, Andean Treks, said they are covering the woman’s medical expenses – which are miraculously minor considering the height of her fall.
“She does not have fractures, according to the initial diagnosis, but we are awaiting further tests,” said the company’s director Oscar Sandoval, adding that it “was a human mistake. Somebody did something wrong.”
“We are checking the videos in order to know who or what released the brake of the rope. It is the first time something like this has happened to us; we have a lot of years of experience,” he said.
Human error is the number one cause of bungee jumping fatalities and injuries, according to Health Research Funding, and the cord being too long is cited as the most common reason.
“This happens because the jumper doesn’t allow for enough space for their cord to stretch as it consumes the energy from the jump. This results in a ground impact and a potential tragedy,” says HRF.
