Bungee Snaps During Bungee Jump

[MichaelW Travels]

I thought that this story would be of interest as it involves an Australian girl that is lucky to be alive.

An Australian tourist is lucky to be alive after her bungee snapped 25 meters above the water during a jump from the Zambezi River bridge in Zimbabwe.
Erin Langworthy fell head first into crocodile infested waters and said things went black when she hit the water.

There is video of the bungee cord snapping and an interview with the girl.
I have a post with the video embedded at MichaelW Travels...: Lucky To Be Alive- Bungee Snaps During Zambezi Jump

 

[medhead]

Crocodiles can jump pretty high last thing I'd want to do is dangle above them. Talking about offering a challenge.


Sent from my iPhone using Aust Freq Fly app so please excuse the lack of links.

 

[samh004]

Not worked up the balls to bungy jump yet, but I’m not sure if I had I’d choose Zimbabwe as a place to do it…

 

[docjames]

Feeling happier I passed up the opportunity to bungy at VF in 1999. Now I know why I passed it up......

 

[The Rok]

I have done it a couple of times. It is terrifying when you are out on the ledge, ready to let go. I couldn't let go, my body wouldn't let me. I had to close my eyes and get the operator to push me. The feeling of adrenaline you get the instant you let go is amazing. Knowing that you have no control is just fantastic.

It was an amazing thrill. But as soon as I got up to go the second time the same thing happened, my body froze and I was petrified.

Well worth it though.

 

[blackcat20]

Not worked up the balls to bungy jump yet, but I’m not sure if I had I’d choose Zimbabwe as a place to do it…

Do the canyon swing in Queenstown; you can jump feet-first which I found alleviated some of the issues for me...so much so that I did it twice

 

[samh004]

Do the canyon swing in Queenstown; you can jump feet-first which I found alleviated some of the issues for me...so much so that I did it twice

I ended up doing the swing at Skyline, shouting a loud obscenity over Queenstown as I swung through the air!

 

[mannej]

Didn't this happen to kath and Kim during their nz holiday?

 

[MichaelW Travels]

I also have never gotten up the nerve to bungy... I hate amusement park rides, rollercoasters and other similar things so I assume that I will puke and feel sick from a bungee!

When my wife and I were in NZ, we did the Auckland bridge climb. Another couple that was at the meeting point were going to bungy from the bridge. When we watched them jump, the idea crossed my mind to do it but in the end it was only a thought!

Maybe one day but then again, after reading this I don't know...

 

[markis10]

This happened a few days ago, the video exclusive broken by Channel 9 (to credit where credit is due), the tourism minister was so concerned so he decided to quality control the thing?

Zambia: Lubinda Bungee jumps as operator announces measures to ensure the safety of their clients | LusakaTimes.com

 

[casanovawa]

When i watched (i think) Charlie Borman or whatever do the jump at Vic Falls on Long Way Down i broke out in sweat just thinking aobut it so when i went to Vic Falls, no i didn't bungee (hate the feeling of falling)... Although having climbed down the rocks to the bottom where the river curls around after coming straight from the falls to under that bridge I doubt there are too many crocs that close to the falls... And while yes these third world countries may not be the first choice to go bungee'ing, having had this happen now it might actually make it safer for a few years while every operator has it front of mind and the tourism operators check up on it... But she was a lucky girl for sure, wonder if they even checked if the water level was deep enough for someone to survive or just assumed they were already dead meat if the cord snapped???

 

[travelislife]

I passed up the opportunity to do this jump a couple of years ago when I was at VF. Saying that I did bungee jump in Mexico last year (for like $30:shock:, so that might have been a little crazy!), have also done a bungee in New Zealand, the Nevis high wire. Have sky dived as well and must say I prefer that a whole heap more, much better rush!

 

[MichaelW Travels]

This happened a few days ago, the video exclusive broken by Channel 9 (to credit where credit is due), the tourism minister was so concerned so he decided to quality control the thing?

Zambia: Lubinda Bungee jumps as operator announces measures to ensure the safety of their clients | LusakaTimes.com

It actually happened I believe on New Years Eve. It didn't hit the news for a week which is kind of crazy. Channel 9 got the exclusive interview with the victim.

 

[trooper]

This will be interesting from a legal perspective..

I can't imagine the company would operate without "waivers" being signed by all participants..

(same as with any Skydiving operation here which, as a veteran of 1000 jumps, I will unsurprisingly suggest is safer!!!:mrgreen: Why? because parachutes/harnesses etc are made to comply with a Technical Standard Order (I think that's what it's called) and are over engineered for the purpose. AFAIK that is NOT the case with bungee cords.. also, I don't see wrapping stuff around ones feet/ankles as a satisfactory anchoring method... give me a bungee attached to the C of G point on a proper harness system.. do it over water...and I'll give it a go!))

While the general view seems to be that from a technical legal perspective these waivers don't mean MUCH, they clearly do show the participant was advised it was a risky business and went ahead anyway... a factor which apparently ended up making a difference in a court case I witnessed years ago... Wonder what Zambian precedents exist?

Given that it was the bungee itself that failed (and assuming the operators were following "normal procedure) I suppose that makes the manufacturer the real litigation target?

We shall see......

 

[The Rok]

This will be interesting from a legal perspective..

I can't imagine the company would operate without "waivers" being signed by all participants..

(same as with any Skydiving operation here which, as a veteran of 1000 jumps, I will unsurprisingly suggest is safer!!!:mrgreen: Why? because parachutes/harnesses etc are made to comply with a Technical Standard Order (I think that's what it's called) and are over engineered for the purpose. AFAIK that is NOT the case with bungee cords.. also, I don't see wrapping stuff around ones feet/ankles as a satisfactory anchoring method... give me a bungee attached to the C of G point on a proper harness system.. do it over water...and I'll give it a go!))

While the general view seems to be that from a technical legal perspective these waivers don't mean MUCH, they clearly do show the participant was advised it was a risky business and went ahead anyway... a factor which apparently ended up making a difference in a court case I witnessed years ago... Wonder what Zambian precedents exist?

Given that it was the bungee itself that failed (and assuming the operators were following "normal procedure) I suppose that makes the manufacturer the real litigation target?

We shall see......

Perhaps if this had occurred in the USA we might be reading about a lawsuit of say, I dunno, $50 Million.

However, as this is Zimbabwe, I doubt we will hear too much more. Much the same as European youth tourists suing the tour operator in their home country for their drunken antics in Cyprus or Greece which have very limited litigation liabilities.

I think this young lady will soon discover that in Africa you are responsible for your own actions, especially idiotic ones that involve jumping head first into crocodile infested waters with just an elastic band to save you.

 

[scaredeycat]

I work with a woman who did this same jump quite a few years ago. She recalls that she expected to feel total exhilaration, but ended up with a splitting headache. When she saw the video it sent shivers down her spine - there but for the grace of God....

 

[MichaelW Travels]

This will be interesting from a legal perspective..

I can't imagine the company would operate without "waivers" being signed by all participants..

(same as with any Skydiving operation here which, as a veteran of 1000 jumps, I will unsurprisingly suggest is safer!!!:mrgreen: Why? because parachutes/harnesses etc are made to comply with a Technical Standard Order (I think that's what it's called) and are over engineered for the purpose. AFAIK that is NOT the case with bungee cords.. also, I don't see wrapping stuff around ones feet/ankles as a satisfactory anchoring method... give me a bungee attached to the C of G point on a proper harness system.. do it over water...and I'll give it a go!))

While the general view seems to be that from a technical legal perspective these waivers don't mean MUCH, they clearly do show the participant was advised it was a risky business and went ahead anyway... a factor which apparently ended up making a difference in a court case I witnessed years ago... Wonder what Zambian precedents exist?

Given that it was the bungee itself that failed (and assuming the operators were following "normal procedure) I suppose that makes the manufacturer the real litigation target?

We shall see......

I thought about that too, but I can't imagine her getting much being that this happened in Zimababwe. In the US she would be rich! In Zimbabwe maybe she can get a $50 billion bill which isn't worth the paper it is printed on!

 

[trooper]

Thought it was Zambia?

Never mind....

A friend who works for DFAT used to have to reconcile accounts in Zim dollars...

...to make it possible with the system in use she had to cut 11 zeros off the amounts...:mrgreen:

I think she said she has a left over mutlti billion note from that period...