Extreme sports and activities might be great to trigger a satisfying adrenaline rush, but at the same time, they come with an absolute risk of fatal injuries, if not death.
Bungee jumping is particularly distinctive because anybody, including amateurs and probably first-timers, often feel encouraged to perform the stunt in the safety of a suspension rope wrapped around the waist.
However, a secure bungee cord alone is not enough to guarantee a safe jump; the harness system itself must be prepared and fitted to the jumper by a professional to minimize the risk of injuries or fatal incidents.
Even with all those elements combined, the risk is never absent.Β
If the person coordinating the stunt fails to consider the distance between the jumper and the ground along with the cord’s elasticity, the accident is bound to happen.
In October 2021, Yevgenia Leontyeva fell victim to an improper bungee cord configuration in Karaganda, Kazakhstan.
The mother of three suffered severe injuries upon impact to the ground and died shortly after. The rope instructor, Alexander Muznikas, was found guilty of the incident.
10 /10 No Intention To Harm
Alexander Muzkinas, a bungee jumping instructor operating in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, was sentenced to four years for causing the tragic death of Yevgenia Leontyeva.
The incident happened on October 10, 2021, when the bungee cord used for the stunt had not been adequately secured before the jump.
The sentencing was delivered on July 28, 2022, upon which Muzkinas rejected all the accusations and said he had never intended to harm anybody, let alone cause the death of any jumper.
9 /10 A Lone Perpetrator
It took more than one person to prepare the cord and ensure everything was safe for the jumper.
Muzkinas maintained he was not working alone on the day Leontyeva died, indicating that some other people could also be found responsible.
Several staffers were operating the attraction apart from him on that sad day.
Muzkinas insisted he was not the one who had developed the harness system, which eventually led to a user’s death. That said, the court found him as the only person to blame for the tragedy.