Chinese theme park closes ride after thrill-seeker's harness appears to come loose during leap at 500 feet
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The ride's operators are reportedly under investigation by local authorities. (iStock)
A theme park in China has closed down one of its sky-high attractions after a thrill-seeker’s harness appeared to unfasten in the middle of a heart-stopping jump on Monday.
Footage shared to Chinese social media sites shows an unidentified parkgoer at Wansheng Ordovician Theme Park, near Chongqing, crossing a planked walkway suspended 500 feet above the ground, according to the South China Morning Post.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}But just as the man finishes crossing — and jumping over large gaps in the suspended walkway — a harness designed to protect him from falling appears to come undone. The man only seems to realize this after making it safely to a podium on the other side, catching the harness and holding it up for the operator to see.
The Morning Post, citing a local Chongqing news outlet, reported that government officials conducted an investigation and determined that the man had not been properly harnessed.
However, a staffer at a propaganda bureau for the Wansheng Economic Development Zone had claimed to The Beijing News that the video was merely a publicity stunt, though social media users weren’t convinced.
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"If someone had died in the video, what would they call it then?" one Weibo user stated in response to the claim, per a translation in AsiaOne.
The Chongqing Evening News, meanwhile, reported Wednesday that the Wansheng Economic Development Zone carried out a special investigation, and found the staff to be guilty of improper operation. The outlet further confirmed the ride was closed, and that the responsible parties would be investigated.
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The thrill ride, called the “Extreme Leap,” is just one of several the park is known for, according to AsiaOne. The Wansheng Ordovician Theme Park is also home to the world’s longest cantilevered glass bridge, which extends over the side of a cliff. The park also operates a swing that extends over the same cliff.