Man left dangling in mid-air after bungee jump from Macau Tower suffers hypothermia

A 30-year-old man was rescued by fire services after he was left dangling in mid-air on Monday (January 29) at the Macau Tower entertainment complex after a bungee jump.

The man who holds a Russian passport was stuck for an hour at about 55m above ground after he jumped from a platform of 233m.

The incident that took place when the man was being lowered to the ground after he completed his jump is believed to have been caused by a system failure.

He suffered temporary paralysis in one foot and was taken to hospital, Macau Daily Times reported.

According to Kong Iat Fu, deputy chief of Macau's Fire Services Department, the man was conscious but shivering and showed "slight symptoms of hypothermia", when he was rescued, the South China Morning Post reported.

Around 34 firefighters, medical staff and operations commanders were rushed to the scene after authorities were alerted about the incident, Kong said. Two firefighters climbed a 70m-aerial ladder to reach the man. Others went to the adventure deck, where the platform was located, to conduct the hour-long rescue, Kong added.

According to AJ Hackett, the jump's operator, preliminary investigation stated that the cold weather could have triggered the safety system, which caused the man to be suspended in mid-air.

An investigation into the incident has begun.

According to Guinness World Records, the Macau Tower bungee jump is considered to be the highest commercial bungee jump in the world.

Using "2nd generation bungy cord", "jumpers leap from a platform 233m above the ground and experience the ultimate free fall experience before slowing down 30m from the ground and rebounding back up", the official webpage of the Macau Tower reads.

There is also a guide cable system that ensures jumpers "do not make contact with the tower and enable bungy jumps to happen in nearly all weather conditions", it said.