In 2012, Australian tourist Erin Langworthy miraculously survived a terrifying fall into the crocodile-infested waters of the Zambezi River in Zambia when her bungee cord failed to recoil.
As Langworthy leapt from the bridge overlooking the Zambezi River, her cord snapped mid-air, hurtling her 360 feet below—as seen on video footage—into the strong, crocodile-infested river.
In the river, Langworthy swam with her hands and feet tied, struggling to stay afloat as the strong currents carried her downstream. She finally loosened the cord once it got caught on rocks.
Thereafter, she was rescued by a member of the bungee-jumping company.
Although she was lucky to leave unharmed by any predators, she began coughing up blood, alerting her to internal bleeding.
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.”
She mentioned in a CoverMore YouTube video that she described her body as being “black and blue over” with her lungs filled with blood and water.
Despite the incident occurring at 5.30 p.m., she only arrived at the hospital at 11.00 p.m. There, she was placed on a ventilator and given antibiotics to reduce the risk of infections. You can also read Pilot’s Last Words Before Hudson River Helicopter Crash Revealed.
X-ray results confirmed that Langworthy had not suffered from any broken bones but medical professionals treated her for injuries like partially collapsed lungs and monitored her for concerns over contaminated water ingestion.
The Bungee Jump company later visited her in the hospital to apologize for the accident. They also expressed astonishment over her survival after such a dangerous incident.
Later, Langworthy shared a light-hearted moment before the jump, saying she sent her mother a postcard the day before the jump, ironically titled as: “I’m doing a bungee jump tomorrow, so I’ll say goodbye… only joking!”
The postcard has since been on their family’s fridge as a treasured keepsake, but her mother remains “adamant” to prevent her daughter from participating in any future thrill-seeking activities.
Langworthy’s ordeal is not an isolated incident. There have been other accidents around the globe, often due to human errors.
In Thailand, a man named Mike also plunged into a river after his cord snapped mid-air.
In another tragic case, a man in China died in 2019 after a 764-foot plunge.
These accidents raise a severe question of safety protocols in extreme sports. Although very thrilling, the risks – though rare – can be life-threatening.
What are your thoughts on this, would you try out this daring activity?
