Girl, 17, survives 50m plunge into water after bungee cord gives way

Adrenaline junkies, you'd better double-check that everything's working before you leap off that bungee tower.

A 17-year-old girl in China nearly lost her life last Friday (Aug 18) when she was bungee jumping in the scenic Shidu Natural Park, Beijing Business Today reported.

In a heart-stopping video clip, she could be seen jumping from a bungee tower perched on a cliff.

It looked like a regular jump until the bungee cord gave way on the third rebound and sent her plunging 50 metres into the Juma river.

She was conscious when rescued from the water and taken to a nearby hospital where she was found to be in a stable condition.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbTbLm2ll0c[/embed]

The bungee jump operator said that it found no safety issues with the equipment and cited human error as the cause of the accident.

Investigations showed that the cord was attached improperly and staff members' miscommunication led to the accident, Chinese media reported.

The manager and staff involved in the incident have been suspended from their duties and the town is now carrying out safety inspections of all tourist attractions.

Although the teen in China survived the jump, another 17-year-old girl was not as fortunate and leapt to her death in Spain after misunderstanding her bungee jumping instructor's words.

He said "No jump" which she heard as "Now, jump". She jumped before the bungee cord was tethered to the bridge.

minlee@sph.com.sg