Adventure seekers all over the world flock to bridges, cranes, buildings, and other high ledges to harness up to elastic cables and jump off. When they reach the end of their elastic cable’s stretch, they rebound –often several times– and are eventually pulled back to safety. It’s an adrenaline rush of free fall and upward flying that’s hard to describe without experiencing it. The risks of bungee jumping are relatively low when the number of reported deaths–27 total– are compared to the number of people who have participated in the activity. Possible problems include harnesses breaking, cords breaking and/or becoming disconnected. Some of the more common injuries include: eye trauma, rope burns, dislocations of the shoulder or hip, pinched fingers, back injuries, and more. It’s easy to see why bungee jumping is considered a hazardous sport.
If you decide to participate in bungee jumping while abroad, be sure to add adventure sports coverage to your travel insurance policy. Because traditional travel insurance doesn’t cover higher risk activities such as bungee jumping, this add-on coverage will ensure that you have health coverage in the event that an accident or injury happens.