A 17-year-old girl died in a devastating bungee jumping accident after a fatal misunderstanding during what should have been a supervised activity.

Per The Mirror, Vera Mol, from the Netherlands, lost her life in August 2015 after jumping from a bridge in northern Spain before her safety harness had been attached. The tragedy unfolded near Cabezón de la Sal, Cantabria, where she had been taking part in the activity with a group of teenagers.

The Dutch youngster was among a party of 13 Dutch and Belgian teenagers, all aged under 18. Vera was second from last to jump, and it was her first time attempting the extreme sport. She stepped off the bridge and fell around 32 meters onto the riverbed below.

The two words that caused confusion

Before her leap, the instructor had called out "no jump" which the court heard she may have mistaken for "now jump".

It was revealed that her death could have been prevented if the instructor had used clearer wording such as "don't jump" instead of the ambiguous phrase.

The court found that confusing language was central to the incident and described the instructor's English as very bad.

Vera Mol. Credit: Facebook

Court findings and safety failures

Judges heard that the instructor did not have a strong enough grasp of English to safely oversee foreign participants during such a high-risk activity.

As reported by The Independent, the instructor stood trial charged with causing Vera's death, while the director of the bungee jumping firm also faced charges of negligent homicide.

Flowtrack, the company running the operation, described the incident as an accident. However, Martijn Klom from the organization acknowledged it resulted from a miscommunication.

He confirmed she was given confusing directions and that although she was connected to the rope, she had not been properly fastened to the bridge.

Vera had not been properly fastened to the bridge she jumped from. Credit: YouTube

A series of critical oversights

Beyond the miscommunication, the court heard there were multiple safety breaches that contributed to the fatal outcome.

The instructor had failed to secure Vera to any safety line while climbing to the bridge, leaving her unprotected moments before the jump.

The company also failed to set up a safe waiting area, leaving teenagers standing dangerously close to the edge while they waited for their turn.

Staff were also criticized for not checking her identification to confirm her age. At 17, she was below the legal age requirement and the company had not obtained parental consent before allowing her to take part.

Vera’s family later called for stricter safety regulations to prevent another tragedy like this.

Featured image credit: Facebook

A woman has recalled the frightening moment she plunged 14,000ft after her parachute failed during a skydive.

Emma Carey, now 29, almost died back in 2013 when her parachute tangled and stifled her skydiving instructor - causing them to fall from the sky.

The incident occurred on day five on what was supposed to be a three-month trip of a lifetime in Europe with Carey and her best friend Jemma Mrdak.

But what should have been an exciting experience for the then-20-year-old turned into a nightmare shortly after her instructor deployed the parachute and it became entangled with the strings of the safety chute.

Carey realized something was seriously amiss when she spotted her parachute flapping in front of her, rather than in the air above.

She spoke with A Current Affair about the terrifying moment her instructor fell unconscious and said: "I just remember thinking, 'There’s no way I’m going to survive this' - you don’t imagine you can fall from that height without slowing down and surviving."

"I remember thinking about my family and the main thing I remember feeling is just kind of regret for not embracing my life fully up until that point," she added.

Upon hitting the ground, Carey took the most impact of the fall and landed facedown with the instructor on top of her. She then tried to roll him off her but quickly realized that she couldn't feel anything from her waist down.

Her best friend landed safely from her skydive but was unaware of what had happened to her and only saw Carey lying on the ground after.

"The first thing I saw was just her lying on her stomach, blood all over her face, crying, in hysterics, screaming that she couldn't feel her legs," Mrdak said.

Carey was rushed to the hospital where surgeons operated on her back and pelvis. Her spine was broken in two places, paralyzing her from the waist down.

"One day I just remember waking up and having this kind of epiphany where I thought, 'OK this has happened, I’m paralyzed and I can be paralyzed and upset about it for the rest of my life, or I can be paralyzed and hopefully live a fulfilling life regardless,'" she said.

Miraculously, both Carey and her instructor survived.

After leaving the hospital and being reunited with her family, Carey went straight into rehab and slowly but surely began to get the feeling back in her legs back.

Amazingly, one year later she learned to walk again and is now referred to as a "walking paraplegic" - which is a term used to describe those who were diagnosed as paraplegics but were later able to walk.

It’s now nine years since the accident and while Carey still deals with the effects of the accident such as not being able to feel below her belly button, and having no control of her bladder or bowel - she has still remained positive.

Earlier this month, she released a book about her experience called The Girl Who Fell From The Sky, and now looks at the moment she felt sure she was going to die as a "rebirth".

"I know how it feels. To think I only have 10 seconds left to live and now I get the rest of my life, whatever that is, so I think it's actually really nice for me to have that memory because it helps to keep me grateful," she said.

"Life really changed from that moment on and I also feel like every day from that date is just extra time that I get to live, so I should celebrate that," she added.

Featured image credit: Robyn Charnley / Alamy

A bungee jumper tragically plummeted 100 feet to her death after making a huge mistake.

Yecenia Morales Gómez, 25, was attempting the extreme sport for the first time at Sky Bungee Jumping Amaga, located near Medellínin Colombia in July 2021.

According to local reports, Gómez and her boyfriend were preparing to jump off a bridge, but a miscommunication between Gómez and her instructor led to her fall, as reported by the New York Post.

Witnesses say she believed the instructor’s signal to jump was meant for her, but in fact, it was intended for her boyfriend.

Crucially, Gómez’s harness and bungee cord had not yet been properly secured when she leaped, causing her to plunge 150 feet to her death.

Local mayor Gustavo Guzmán told El Tiempo that the tragedy appeared to be the result of a misunderstanding.

Her boyfriend was given a signal to jump but she thought it was her signal it was her rather than her boyfriend who was attached to the harness.

Following her fall, Gómez’s boyfriend attempted CPR, but tragically, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

A medical report later revealed that she had suffered a heart attack during the fall.

While initial reports suggested the fatal accident was due to a miscommunication, Sky Bungee Jumping denied this, asserting that no one else was jumping at the time of the incident.

Sky Bungee also emphasized that their safety protocols allow for only one jumper at a time, per the Express.

Sky Bungee confirmed they are cooperating fully with the investigation and have provided all necessary documentation to authorities.

Sky Bungee claimed: “Our protocol is designed for single jumps and with only one person per jump. It means that in order to jump, a person must finish everything related to the previous person’s jump.”

They added: “In the video that went viral, it shows that the person who jumped earlier has just been recovered.

“This is relevant as it indicates that there was no confusion with any other jump or person.

“The authorities are investigating and our job is to support their work. “From the day after the events, we delivered the documentation of our activities to the authorities,” they continued.

Yecenia's brother, Andrés Morales, described his sister as a kind and driven individual with a love for reading and dancing.

Featured image credit: VisualCommunications/Getty

A woman in Florida has tragically passed away after the draw bridge she was walking on opened beneath her.

As reported by NBC News affiliate WPTV, the older woman - whose name has not been made public - was walking with her bicycle along the Royal Park Bridge on Sunday. However, she was unable to make it across safely after the bridge started to go up.

West Palm Beach police have stated that she was just 10 feet away from the end of the bridge when she fell to her death through a gap in the road.

An investigation is now underway.

Mike Jachles, a spokesperson for West Palm Beach police, said in a statement: "The woman tried to hang on. There was a bystander nearby who tried to help her, but tragically she fell five or six stories below where she died landing on concrete."

Jachles also spoke about the safety protocols that are in place on the manned bridge, adding:

"There is a bridge tender, and that bridge tender has certain safety protocols to follow, specific safety protocols [...] that includes lowering of the gates for the vehicles, lowering of the gates for the pedestrians, and making several visual confirmations that there is nobody at either of the spans or past those gates."

"The bridge tender actually comes out onto the catwalk, and walks around and does a visual inspection to make sure there are no cars or pedestrians or anyone else on the portion of the bridge on the inside of the gates that goes up." Jachles added.

Speaking to CNN affiliate WPBF, Jachles added that part of the investigation will "determine whether procedure was followed or whether this woman crossed after the signals were down."

Juan Orellana, an advocate for bicycle safety in the area, revealed that Royal Park Bridge is the most frequented bridge used by cyclists when crossing from Palm Beach Island to the mainland.

He also added that the bridge features alarms and barriers to help alert any pedestrians when the bridge is being prepared to rise.

"For one thing you will hear the bell even before the arms go down, so when you hear the bell you gotta get out of the way before the bridge goes up," Orellana said.

Speaking to WPTV, some residents have said that they have always felt safe on the bridge, while others did call for better signage to warn crossers.

Featured image credit: Patrick Lynch / Alamy

A 56-year-old Japanese tourist, whose identity remains undisclosed, met a tragic fate after embarking on a daring bungee jump from China's Macau Tower.

The high-risk adventure took a devastating turn as the thrillseeker, who had just completed the breathtaking 764-foot plunge, began experiencing shortness of breath. Despite the rapid response of first responders and medical professionals, his life could not be saved.

The incident has sent shockwaves through the adventure sports community, leaving many questions unanswered.

Per The New York Post, the ill-fated jump occurred at approximately 4:30PM local time on a Sunday, setting the stage for a day that would take a tragic turn. After completing the daring 764-foot leap from Macau Tower, the Japanese tourist began to struggle with shortness of breath.

Alarming as it was, the situation quickly escalated as he stopped breathing entirely and his heart ceased to beat.

First responders arrived promptly, rushing him to Conde S. Januário Hospital, where medical professionals fought valiantly to revive him. Unfortunately, their efforts were in vain, and the tourist was declared deceased shortly thereafter. Notably, despite the harrowing incident, the thrillseeker had not sustained any visible injuries to his body during the bungee jump.

At present, the exact cause of the Japanese tourist's death remains a mystery. While the circumstances surrounding his death are deeply concerning, no official statement has been issued regarding the cause. Investigations are likely to shed light on this tragic incident and provide answers to the questions that linger.

Skypark by AJ Hackett, the operator responsible for the bungee jump at Macau Tower, maintains stringent safety measures to ensure the well-being of participants. Customers are required to disclose relevant medical conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, epilepsy, pregnancy, or previous surgeries. These precautions are designed to safeguard the health and safety of all participants.

The Macau Tower, which first opened its doors to the public in 2006, is home to the world's second-highest commercial bungee jump, measuring a staggering 764 feet. Only China's Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge Bungee, reaching a height of 853 feet, surpasses this exhilarating leap. Thrillseekers from around the world are drawn to Macau Tower, willing to pay approximately $360 for the adrenaline-pumping experience.

Skypark by AJ Hackett, with a legacy spanning nearly three decades, operates bungee jumps in various global destinations, including France, Singapore, and Australia. The company proudly boasts a remarkable safety record, having successfully completed four million jumps without a major incident.

This unfortunate incident is not the first time Macau Tower has been associated with a bungee jump gone awry. In January 2018, a Russian tourist found themselves suspended 180 feet in the air after completing a jump from the tower. The mishap was attributed to a backup safety system that was triggered due to frigid temperatures. Thankfully, in that instance, the tourist was eventually rescued without sustaining harm.

The tragic passing of the Japanese tourist after a bungee jump from Macau Tower serves as a stark reminder of the inherent risks associated with extreme sports. As investigations continue to uncover the details surrounding this incident, the adventure sports community and authorities will undoubtedly be more vigilant than ever in ensuring the safety and well-being of participants.

Featured image credit: China Photos / Getty