Taking the leap
Bungee jumping, this thrilling outdoor sport, is definitely a game for the brave. But if you’re thinking of trying out that heart-stopping freefall, it’s best to get insurance first—because even this so-called “absolutely safe extreme sport” can go wrong. According to the UK’s Daily Mail yesterday...
A leap of faith
Unluckily, the bungee cord snapped unexpectedly
Luckily, she swam to safety with her feet still tied
At the start of the new year, 22-year-old Australian girl Erin Langworth was on holiday in Zambia. While visiting Victoria Falls, located on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, Erin decided to commemorate her African trip—and give herself a special New Year’s gift—with a bungee jump. Standing on a bridge 111 meters above the water, Erin had no idea just how terrifying what was about to happen would be.
With arms outstretched, she leapt toward the Zambezi River. Seconds later, when she was still 25 meters above the water, the bungee cord strapped to her body suddenly snapped... Erin plunged into the Zambezi River, leaving everyone around her stunned. The river is full of jagged rocks and is known for its frequent crocodile sightings—falling into the Zambezi is akin to walking into the “gates of hell,” with slim chances of survival. However, the crowd soon witnessed an unexpected second act: Erin, with her feet still bound by the bungee cord, tenaciously swam through the turbulent waters and managed to reach the shore to safety. This harrowing scene was captured by cameras installed on the bridge.
The risk of danger in bungee jumping is very low
It’s not exactly a life-or-death extreme sport
“The rushing water kept pulling me downstream, and to make matters worse, my feet were tightly tangled in the rope, rendering them useless. Not only that, but the rope kept getting caught on rocks at the bottom of the river. I knew that to survive, I had to break the rope. I don’t know how I managed to snap it, but I swam for my life toward the shore,” Erin recalled. “Once I got ashore, the rescue personnel flipped me over, and I remember vomiting a lot of water and coughing up blood.”
Afterwards, Erin was immediately rushed to a local hospital for emergency treatment. Although covered in bruises, she fortunately only suffered superficial injuries. The doctors at the local hospital were astonished by her survival: “Falling from such a height and sustaining only minor injuries is unbelievable. I can only say it’s a miracle. How did she swim across that turbulent river? The Zambezi is full of jagged rocks—normally, if someone falls in, they either drown or are battered to death by the rocks. And let’s not forget, there are plenty of crocodiles in the Zambezi who certainly wouldn’t let her off easily—or maybe they were scared off too.”
After the incident, the Zambian tourism authorities immediately closed the bungee jumping site at Victoria Falls and launched an investigation into the cause of the accident.
“Hundreds of tourists come here to bungee jump every week, each paying around $120. This is the first time such an accident has happened in 10 years,” said the country’s Minister of Tourism, Given Lubinda. “Globally, more than 500,000 people go bungee jumping every year, and according to statistics, the probability of such an accident is less than one in 500,000. We never expected this to happen in Zambia. However, bungee jumping remains a very safe sport—it’s not an extreme challenge where lives are commonly lost.”