Chinese theme park attraction shut down after thrill seeker’s lucky escape
Video shows moment the man realises how close he came to plummeting from high-altitude bridge after safety cord snaps
Authorities have closed down a high-altitude theme park attraction in southwest China due to safety concerns, after a hair-raising video of a tourist’s lucky escape when his harness snapped went viral on social media.
An investigation by local government officials found staff at the Wansheng Ordovician Theme Park near Chongqing had not fastened the safety cord properly on Monday when a tourist, who was not identified, did the “extreme leap”, Upstream News reported on Wednesday.
Footage of the incident shows the man leaping across a giant walkway suspended in mid-air with gaping holes between each plank. As he makes the final jump, the rope securing him to an overhead frame breaks from his safety harness, just as he reaches the opposite podium.
The man appears calm throughout, turning around and smiling after reaching the other side. About a second later he realises what has happened and is seen holding up the severed cable.
There is no safety net beneath the bridge, which is suspended over a sheer drop of 152 metres (500 feet) onto the rocks below.
But a staff member with the propaganda bureau at the Wansheng Economic Development Zone told The Beijing News the video was a publicity stunt aimed at raising the profile of the theme park.