A woman fell 360 feet into crocodile-infested waters after her bungee cord snapped.
Bungee jumping is on countless lifelong bucket lists, with many people dreaming of that exhilarating moment of freedom.
But it also shows up just as often on the ‘absolutely never’ lists – and the story below may help explain why.
Where did Erin Langworthy do her bungee jump?
Australian traveler Erin Langworthy was exploring Zambia in 2012 when she decided to take on the challenge of bungee jumping from a bridge, which overlooked the Zambezi River, known for its strong currents and crocodile population.
What was supposed to be a thrilling experience took a terrifying turn when her bungee cord snapped mid-air, sending her plummeting 360 feet into the rushing waters below.
Footage shared on social media captured the moment Langworthy plunged into the water after the cord gave way.
Struggling against the powerful current, Langworthy fought to stay afloat as the river carried her downstream.
Prior to the jump, Langworthy noted that she had jokingly sent a postcard to her mother the day before, in which she wrote: “I’m doing a bungee jump tomorrow, so I’ll say goodbye… only joking!”
The postcard has since become a treasured keepsake in her family’s home, though her mother remains adamant that she will not be participating in any similar activities in the future.
The fateful day…
But Langworthy could have never imagined the catastrophic event that unfolded the very next day.
Despite being a fearful thought for many, over two million individuals have performed bungee jumps in total since the sport’s inception.
The desire for an adrenaline rush is a major motivation for travel, and bungee jumping is a prime example of this trend.
And contrary to what most people might believe, the data suggests that women are slightly more likely to try bungee jumping than men.
Miraculously, Langworthy survived her fall, as well as the potential threat of lurking predators.
Speaking about her injuries in a Cover-More Youtube video, Langworthy recalled: “I was black and blue all over, my lungs were full of blood and water.”
She reportedly had to swim with her feet tied together, and was able to free the cord when it got caught on rocks.
A staff member from the bungee company managed to rescue her from the river, after which she was rushed straight to a hospital in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
Despite Langworthy’s fall occurring at 5:30 p.m., she only arrived at the hospital by 11:00 p.m., where she was placed on a ventilator and administered antibiotics to prevent infection.
What injuries did she sustain?
Medical professionals treated the young woman for injuries, such as partially collapsed lungs, and monitored her condition due to concerns over the contaminated water she had ingested.
Fortunately, X-ray results confirmed that she had not suffered any broken bones.
In an interview with The Guardian, Langworthy recalled: “I started coughing up blood and began to worry about internal injuries. I just felt exhausted and struggled to process what had happened.”
The bungee company later visited the woman in the hospital to apologize for the accident and expressed astonishment that she had survived such a dangerous incident.
What is the likelihood of surviving a bungee jump cord snap?
According to experts, the likelihood of surviving a bungee jump cord snap is extremely low due to the direct impact with the ground.
Modern bungee jumping has a very low fatality rate – about 1 in 500,000 jumps – but these odds are for the sport as a whole, not specifically for a cord snap.
The low overall fatality rate is a testament to the industry’s strict safety precautions, including equipment inspection and fully-trained staff.