Thrill seekers might reconsider bungee jumping after seeing this news of a survivor whose cord snapped.
Mike, a 39-year-old tourist from Hong Kong, is exceptionally lucky to be alive after the terrifying incident.
Last month, Mike and a friend were visiting Thailand and went to Changthai Thappraya Safari and Adventure Park in Pattaya. The park offers a range of activities including zip lines and live-round shooting.
According to the New York Post, Mike initially wanted to go live-round shooting but went bungee jumping instead after his traveling companion tried it.
The worst-case scenario occurred when Mike leaped from the 30-meter-high podium and suddenly found himself submerged in the lake below instead of recoiling back upward.
What happened?
It turns out his bungee line snapped as soon as it reached the lowest point of the jump.
The good news is that he is alive to share the story.
Mike told CNN how he prepared himself prior to stepping off the edge of the 10-story high platform.
“It was really high so I closed my eyes. I planned to open my eyes again when I bounced back up."
But that bounce never happened.
“I realized the cord had snapped when I opened my eyes and I was surrounded by water."
"I landed on my left side so the injuries were more serious there. It was as if someone just beat me up real bad.”
According to Yahoo News Australia, Mike said his armpit took the brunt of the fall and was "oozing blood" and missing a layer of skin around the area of impact.
He also said his left knee was bruised and swollen, as was his left eye.
Footage of the jump that Mike agreed to share online showed his body slamming into the waters below after the cord snapped.
Here is a clip of Mike's perilous plunge.
Tourist’s bungee cord snaps during midair jumpyoutu.be
Mike resurfaced and was somehow able to swim to shore despite his ankles being bound together by the remaining half of the snapped cord.
Another person may not have survived his situation.
“If the person doesn’t know how to swim, he or she will be in big trouble," he said.
Mike said the park paid for his x-ray and ultrasound scans in Thailand.
Nithit Intim, the park's founder, confirmed he witnessed the accident and said it was the first time he had seen a cord snap.
Intim told the media outlet:
“After the cord was broken, our staff got him [Mike] out of the water immediately, and asked him if he was okay."
"He [Mike] said he felt bruised. So we took him to the hospital.”
Intim said Mike signed a liability waiver prior to the jump and added that the park would pay any additional direct medical costs as long as there were receipts.
“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 for compensation on other kind of expenses."
Mike suffered injuries to the left side of his body, and was released from the Thailand hospital after doctors said he was "fine."
But he wasn't exactly fine when he returned home to Hong Kong.
Mike ended up hospitalized for three days after a CT scan, MRI, and X-ray revealed he had a lung infection, likely from swallowing a mouthful of dirty lake water.
That left him with a $9,500 medical bill. The park refunded the $86 cost of admission and compensated Mike for the initial medical bill of $350.
His travel insurance covered the rest.
The bungee jump operator Natthaphon Yokcharoen apologized for the incident, saying:
“Thappraya Safari has been open for seven years and nothing like this has ever happened."
"All of our equipment is licensed. I would like to apologize for this incident.”
@GregAbbott_TX/X
