This week, footage of a thrill-seeking American on vacation in Thailand went viral across the internet after a failed bungee jump. While 99% of bungee jumps go to plan, this particular tourist had to endure the nightmare scenario of the rope snapping mid-jump.
The 39-year-old, who is going by the name of Mike to avoid online harassment, decided to go bungee jumping off a ten-story-high podium in Pattaya while on his travels in January. As the trip could have been a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, he wanted to do something memorable while there.
Taking the dive, things went horribly wrong as Mike came towards the end of the jump as the rope snapped, meaning he became unattached to the podium above. Luckily, the jump was performed over a deep body of water, which gave him half a chance of survival. Had it been over land, like many bungee jumps are, he wouldn’t have lived to tell the tale.
In an interview with CNN, Mike recalled the moment he realized the bungee had snapped:
“I landed on my left side, so the injuries were more serious there. It was as if someone had just beaten me up really badly. I realized the cord had snapped when I opened my eyes, and I was surrounded by water.”
Never Fall For a Dare
Mike said the bungee jump wasn’t a pre-meditated plan but something his friends dared him to do once they were at Changthai Thappraya Safari and Adventure Park in Northwest Pattaya.
The park is popular with tourists as it offers a variety of fun activities such as zip lines and live-round shootings. Mike was only meant to participate in some shooting at the firing range, but after being dared to do the bungee jump, he didn’t want to let his friends down.
Talking about the jump, he said that he had his eyes closed the whole way and planned to open them again once he bounced back up – but he never did. Instead, he was slammed into the water below him, and the next thing he knew, he was trying to swim while the lower half of the snapped rope still bound his feet together.
Mike said that the park refunded the cost of his jump and paid for medical treatment; however, he suggested that they got off lightly because if it had happened to someone who didn’t know how to swim, then “he or she would have been in big trouble.”
The Park’s Response
Nithit Intim, the amusement park founder, told CNN that it was the first time he had seen a cord snap in all his time running it. He added:
“After the cord was broken, our staff got him out of the water immediately and asked him if he was okay. He said he felt bruised, so we took him to the hospital. Our staff explained that if any mishap happens or any accident takes place, our company will compensate medical bills. But the client can’t demand compensation on other expenses.”
Well, isn’t that lovely? Perhaps this particular amusement park should be on the “places to avoid” list if you are heading to Thailand soon!
This article was produced and syndicated by The Impulse Traveler.
