Watch: China tourist's safety rope breaks off while jumping across 150m-high bridge

Watch: China tourist's safety rope breaks off while jumping across 150m-high bridge

His life was hanging by a thread, and he didn't even know it.

One man in China is lucky to be alive, after his safety harness came loose while he was crossing an aerial obstacle course in a theme park.

A video taken on Oct 1 shows the thrill-seeker unwittingly taking the ultimate leap of faith at the Wansheng Ordovician Theme Park, located in a scenic area 100km outside Chongqing.

Just as he makes the final jump to safety across the gapped bridge, the rope breaks off from the harness. There is no safety net below the 152-metre-high structure.

The man turns around and discovers the mishap, but amazingly is still all-smiles as he holds up the severed cable in his hand.

The video went viral over China's Golden Week holiday which began on Oct 1, triggering angry responses online and prompting authorities at the Wansheng Economic Development Zone to launch an investigation. 

In case you're curious, here's a compilation of similar attempts by other park visitors:

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TFg8jtZkcQ[/embed]

On Wednesday (Oct 4), authorities announced that the incident was due to the negligence of a staff member and promised to launch an investigation to deal with the matter. The attraction, known as "Extreme Leap", has been closed till further notice.

A report by a Beijing paper also quoted a spokesperson for the theme park as saying that the video was a marketing gimmick by a private enterprise to promote the attraction.

The comment generated a flurry of angry responses from netizens, many of whom didn't buy the flimsy excuse. "If someone had died in the video, what would they call it then?" asked a Weibo user. Said another: "This marketing tactic only successfully demonstrates that the activity is far too dangerous." 


Photo: Weibo

The theme park had been lauded for its thrilling, high-altitude activities popular with adrenaline-junkies.


Photo: Wansheng Ordovician Theme Park

The key attractions in the park include the world’s longest cantilevered glass walkway, as well as a rope swing perched on the edge of a 300-metre-high cliff, according to the South China Morning Post.


Photo: Wansheng Ordovician Theme Park

Upgrading works to the theme park were recently completed in September just before the Mid-Autumn Festival.

[[nid:226060]]

ALSO READ: Woman in China suffers vaginal tears from theme park activity

[[nid:282346]]

candicec@sph.com.sg

This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.