Victoria Falls tragedy tourist relives nasty experience

TWO years ago, Australian tourist, Erin Langworthy broke a record.She became the first person to be involved in an accident at the Victoria Falls bungee when her cord snapped as she leapt down the 111 metre deep gorge. For many decades, the adrenalin pumping Victoria Falls bungee had had an excellent record. Many said it was 100 percent perfect.  That is why her incident after the fateful day dominated global headlines.  Two years on, she relives the experience of what was probably her worst day. Interestingly, she leaves her options wide as to whether returning for another attempt was still possible. Here is her story.

I had never done a bungee jump, but two years ago I decided to give it a go while travelling in Zambia. I was 22 and wanted a big adventure after university, so I had left Australia for Africa. I was travelling alone, but I joined a tour group who were going to go bungee jumping over the Zambezi River at Victoria Falls. I had heard it was incredible — jumping from a bridge 111 metres over a gorge with the thundering falls behind you.

I felt nervous, but never thought anything could go wrong.  I was the 105th person to jump that day. I stood on the platform, looked at my ankles, which had been strapped together, and worried aloud that my feet would slip out. Someone said that would be the last thing that happened. The view was astonishing, but just before I jumped I thought, “What am I doing throwing myself off a perfectly good bridge?”

But I was caught up in the moment, and simply spread my arms and fell forwards. Everything sped by in a blue-green blur. The rush was amazing. After a few seconds, I felt a jolt across my chest. It seemed as if I slowed down for a second, then sped up. I could hear the wind rushing past my ears.  Instinctively, I brought up my arms, locking my hands together.  Then I felt myself hit the water — that is when I realised something had gone wrong. The sound of bubbles was so loud.

I felt as if I had been slapped all over. My hands had stopped me hitting the water headfirst and blacking out.  My lungs were on fire and I was struggling to breathe. I later found out I’d fallen for four seconds after the rope snapped: a distance of up to 40 metres.  If I had been over land, I’d have been dead.  Luckily, it had rained the day before, so the river was turbulent and full. That morning, I had seen crocodiles in the water, but I could not think about that.

I was struggling in the fast-flowing rapids, because my ankles were still tied together. The bungee cord had snapped near the top, so I still had about 30 metres attached to me, which kept getting caught. I was pulled down river and underwater into whirlpools. At one point, the cord snagged below me and I was trapped below the surface. As I was running out of air and my vision started to fade, I managed to dive back down, grab the rope and pull it free.  Eventually I managed to wedge my arm between two slimy rocks near the side of the river.

All I thought about was clinging on.I now know I was in the water for 40 minutes. The first guy to reach me was from the bungee company. He grabbed my harness and got me straight out of the water, giving me his shirt because I was shivering. I was worried that he did not have first aid training, so I got into the recovery position.  Then I started throwing up water from my lungs.

My body was purple with bruises from the impact. I started coughing up blood and began to worry about internal injuries.  I felt exhausted and struggled to process what had happened. I jumped at 5:30 pm and did not get to hospital in Victoria Falls until 11 pm. The paramedics got lost, and because I had ended up on the Zimbabwean side of the river without a passport, I was essentially an illegal immigrant.

I was put on a ventilator, and needed an ultrasound and to see a lung specialist. They gave me a large dose of antibiotics — the doctors were worried about how much dirty water I had ingested.  X-rays showed no broken bones, but my lungs had partially collapsed.

The guys from the bungee company visited me in hospital. They were very apologetic and astounded I had survived.  Facilities were basic, so I had to be flown to South Africa. Friends I had met travelling got me my belongings and passport, so I could travel. Two weeks later, I went home. I am a positive person, so I have never been angry about what happened. Around 50 000 people jump from that spot every year, so it was pure chance that the rope snapped on me — just wear and tear.

They have now introduced measures to ensure it does not happen again. I called mum and she bought a plane ticket straight away. I had sent her a postcard the day before, saying, “I am doing a bungee jump tomorrow, so I will say goodbye… only joking!” which she now keeps on the fridge.  She is adamant I will never do another, but I am not so sure.

● As told to Sophie Haydock of The Guardian (UK).