Bungee jumper falls diea after harness breaks and she lands on concrete floor

27 February 2024 , 20:52

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Starfield Anseong Mall in Gyeonggi (Image: AsiaWire)

A bungee jumper in her 60s has died after she plunged 26 feet onto concrete in a shopping mall, say police in South Korea.

The unnamed woman slammed onto the solid floor, missing an emergency crash mat at the foot of the jump after the safety harness attaching her to the elastic bungee rope failed. Local police in Gyeonggi province say the impact of the fall sent her into cardiac arrest and she died later in hospital.

Police told Korean media they believe a carabiner, a clip linking the safety harness to the rope, failed as she hit the end of the rope yesterday. The crash happened at a special adult adventure playground called Smob at the Starfield Anseong Mall which has since been closed. Other Smob bases have also closed for safety inspections.

The mall’s operator, Shinsegae Property, expressed their regret and said they are cooperating with police to determine the cause of the death. They told local media: "The company will carry out safety inspections for possible accidents that can be caused by operations at all retail spaces in all Starfield branches starting from Tuesday (27th February)." An investigation is ongoing.

Last year, a tourist’s bungee cord snapped mid-air sending him plunging 100ft into a lake. The tourist, from Hong Kong and named only as Mike, dived from the top of a 10-storey high podium during a holiday in Thailand. Instead of being thrown back into the air, the rope snapped and the 39-year-old fell.

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Luckily for Mike, the jump was made over a body of water at the Changthai Thappraya Safari and Adventure Park, and rescuers were with him straight away. Instead of almost certain death, he suffered several injuries to his left-hand side but lived to tell the tale. He told CNN: “It was really high so I closed my eyes. I planned to open my eyes again when I bounced back up. I realised the cord had snapped when I opened my eyes and I was surrounded by water. I landed on my left side so the injuries were more serious there, it was as if someone just beat me up real bad."

Rachel Hagan