Some of us aren’t daring enough to participate in wacky activities like bungee jumping in case something terrible happens.
Despite being brave enough to take on the risk, some daredevils may meet an unfortunate fate doing these things.
Luckily for a Hong Kong tourist whose bungee cord snapped in mid-air, he made it out alive with a few injuries.
But apparently, the medical treatment and compensation he received afterwards seemed like a joke.
The Accident, in Detail
Mike, the tourist, came to Thailand with his colleagues in February, according to HK01.
They were made to sign a document in Thai and English, which is believed to be the insurance clause, and were then brought up by a crane which rose to a height of approximately ten floors.
Convinced by one of his colleagues who seemingly had fun bungee jumping, Mike decided to take on the challenge.
The staff tied a rope to his feet and pushed him off the crane. Opening his arms, he plunged about 30 metres.
About 5 metres from the water’s surface, the rope broke in half, and he fell to the bottom of the lake.
Fortunately, Mike was still conscious and quickly swam to the water’s surface by himself. Several park staff jumped into the lake to rescue him, and he was sent to the hospital for treatment.
“At the beginning the pain was so bad that I felt dizzy,” he recalled.
His Injuries and Its…Treatment?
As Mike fell into the lake, his armpit hit the water first, causing the layer of skin under his armpit to be removed.
His left knee and left eye were bruised and swollen, and his chest and flank muscles ached. After taking several X-rays and ultrasounds at a local hospital, the doctor declared that he was fine.
The doctor did not clean his wounds or bandage them, and merely gave him painkillers and immediately asked him to leave afterwards.
Mike later complained to the park where he bungee jumped, demanding compensation. However, the park told him they could only refund the bungee jump fee of about HK$500 (S$85) and cover the emergency medical fee of about HK$1,800 (S$307).
The park would also only agree to compensate for his medical expenses if he wanted them to do so upon returning to Hong Kong as long as he signed a form clearing the park of all responsibility.
Mike was dissatisfied with this and refused to sign it.
Proper Treatment in the End
Upon returning to Hong Kong, Mike went to the hospital again to get his injuries checked.
At the Hong Kong hospital, Mike underwent about three times the treatment he did in Thailand.
He underwent a computerised tomography scan (CT scan), X-ray scanning and magnetic resonance (MRI) in the hospital. Fortunately, it was found that his injuries were mostly trauma to the skin, although the CT scan detected a slight infection in his lungs.
The infection is suspected to result from a shock injury caused by a sharp fall or accidental drinking of dirty water from the lake.
Mike also had to undergo orthopaedic and ophthalmologic examinations. He stayed at the hospital for three days and will continue to do physical therapy.
Saved by Insurance
Mike had to pay HK$50,000 (S$8,540) in medical expenses, but his travel insurance could cover everything.
“It doesn’t matter whether you play (extreme sports) or not, you must have insurance. If something happens, it will be a big deal!” he told HK01.
He is still determined to hold the park accountable and has since contacted the park and the Tourism Authority of Thailand via e-mails and Facebook but to no avail.
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