Chinese teen survives 50ft plunge into river after bungee rope fails
Video captures moment equipment failure sent girl plummeting into water
A 17-year-old girl in Beijing has survived a 50-metre fall into a river after her rope failed to pull her back during a bungee jump.
The incident happened at about 1pm on Friday near Juma river at the Shidu Natural Park in the city’s Fangshan District, according to a report from The Beijing Times on Sunday.
In a 40-second video clip, which was taken by onlookers, the girl was seen bouncing up and down several times but then the equipment failed and she went plunging into the water.
The girl, whose name was not given, was a tourist from the neighbouring city of Tianjin. She was sent to Fangshan No1 Hospital to receive medical treatment and the report said he was in a stable condition.
The report quoted a spokesperson for the park as saying that the safety rope and the bungee equipment remained intact.
An initial investigation suggested the accident had been caused by the “inappropriate setting” of the rope and confusion caused by staff members trying to communicate using gestures.
The manager and the staff who were on duty at the time were suspended and bungee jumping at the park has been suspended during an investigation, according to the report.
