THAILAND (CNN) - A tourist in Thailand survived a terrifying bungee jumping incident when his cord snapped, slamming him into the water below.
The 39-year-old tourist from Hong Kong asked to use only his first name, Mike, to avoid online harassment when he went public with his story. He went bungee jumping off a 10-floor-high podium in the town of Pattaya, Thailand, while on holiday in January. Tie Wraps
Mike’s bungee rope snapped milliseconds before he neared the bottom of his jump, slamming him into the water below. The incident was caught on video.
He managed to resurface and swim to safety, despite his feet being tied together by the lower half of the snapped bungee cord.
Mike suffered injuries to his feet. He told CNN he was also left covered in bruises.
“I landed on my left side, so the injuries were more serious there,” he said. “It was as if someone just beat me up real bad.”
Mike said he originally went to the Changthai Thappraya Safari and Adventure Park to try out the firing range, but his friends dared him to do a bungee jump.
“It was really high, so I closed my eyes. I planned to open my eyes again when I bounced back up,” Mike said. “I realized the cord had snapped when I opened my eyes and I was surrounded by water.”
Mike said the park refunded the cost of his jump and paid for X-ray and ultrasound scans in Thailand.
Nithit Intim, the founder of the park, confirmed the accident took place. He said it was the first time he had seen a cord snap.
“After the cord was broken, our staff got him [Mike] out of the water immediately and asked him if he was OK,” Intim told CNN. “He said he felt bruised, so we took him to the hospital.”
Intim said Mike signed a liability waiver before making the jump. The company promises to compensate the client for medical bills in case of mishaps, but the client cannot then demand compensation for other expenses.
Cable Wall Clips Copyright 2023 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.