Four French hikers were crossing the Hopuruahine Bridge in New Zealand when it collapsed, sending the tourists plummeting 30 feet to the river below, according to The Guardian. The backpackers narrowly escaped serious injury.
Adrien Whistle and his friends were trekking through Te Urewera National Park in New Zealand last month when they encountered the bridge, crossing it on Sept. 3. Designed to hold 10 people, the bridge collapsed when the four hikers and their heavy backpacks started across it. One of the hikers had just starting to film the beauty of the area, managing to capture the whole incident. Three of the hikers fell, while the fourth clung to the rocky mountainside.
Be prepared; if you have vertigo, or are afraid of heights, this video may be a little too much to take. The terrifying fall is everyone's worst nightmare crossing a suspended bridge.
The bridge is located near Lake Waikaremoana and spans 215 feet across the river. It's a hiker's paradise, known for its rugged mountains, lakes, forests and secluded hiking trails, according to CNN.
"Fortunately, other than some scratches and a little bit of bruising, they are not seriously injured," Department of Conservation operations manager Mike Slater said, The Huffington Post reported. "That's a very fortunate outcome."
"This is good luck not good management. Our reputation cannot rely on luck," Slater added.
"The cable failure is not only extremely concerning, it leaves New Zealand vulnerable to harmful tourism reaction. This must be sorted immediately."
Whistle posted the video of the collapse Monday, and it has since gone viral on social media.
The bridge collapse is being called a manufacture defect. New cable will be threaded on the bridge in the coming weeks, followed by extensive testing.
Chinese tourists were left suspended 3,540 feet up in the air on the Yuntaishan Sky Walkway earlier this week as the glass walkway shattered under their feet, less than two weeks after the tourist attraction opened, as previously reported by HNGN.
