Hikers Fall When Suspension Bridge Snaps

A group of French hikers fell 26 feet into a river after a cable in the suspension bridge they were crossing snapped.

Bridge Failure

The group of hikers were crossing a bridge near Lake Waikaremoana in New Zealand when a supporting cable snapped, sending three members of the group into the water below, while the fourth member held onto the bridge.

Despite the harrowing fall, which occurred in September 2015, none of the hikers were seriously injured, other than scratches and bruises.

One of the hikers wrote, “When we get halfway across we hear a muffled sound and before having time to do anything I was thrown into the emptiness, accepting the likelihood I would die.”

One of the two suspension cables which held the bridge snapped while the group crossed. This caused the bridge to flip over, spilling three of the hikers into the water below. The hiker who held onto the bridge pulled himself up with a cable.

The cause of the failure was found to be a manufacturing defect in one of the cable links. The bridge was designed to hold up to 10 people, but it currently remains closed for reconstruction.

The video (above) which details the accident amassed over a million views on YouTube in its first couple of days online.