Tourist dies after leaping from Macau Tower bungee jump

A Japanese tourist has died after taking a fateful leap from one of the world’s highest bungee jumps at China’s Macau Tower.

The unidentified daredevil, described only as a 56-year-old man traveling on a Japanese passport, began experiencing shortness of breath after completing the 764-foot jump around 4:30 pm local time Sunday, reported the Hong Kong news outlet HK01.

He then stopped breathing altogether and had no heartbeat by the time first responders arrived to transport him to Conde S. Januário Hospital.

Doctors were unable to revive the patient, and he was pronounced dead a short time later.

The thrillseeker did not suffer any superficial injuries to his body during the jump, HK01 reported.

There was no immediate word on the tourist’s cause of death. 

Skypark by AJ Hackett, which operates the bungee jump and other tourist attractions at Macau Tower, requires customers to tell staff if they suffer from a host of medical conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, epilepsy, pregnancy, or previous surgeries.

The Macau attraction, which first opened to the public in 2006, is the second-highest commercial bungee jump in the world, surpassed only by China’s Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge Bungee measuring at 853 feet.

Skypark customers pay around $360 to take the leap from Macau Tower’s observation deck.

Skypark by AJ Hackett has been in business for around 30 years and also runs bungee jumps in France, Singapore and Australia. Its website declares that it has successfully carried out four million jumps — and that the company has a “perfect safety record.”

In January 2018, a Russian tourist was left dangling 180 feet in the air after completing a bungee jump from the Macau Tower. The operator at the time attributed the mishap to a backup safety system that switched on because of frigid temperatures.