Australian travellers are suffering serious injuries including broken backs from cliff jumping

DESPITE serious injuries and even deaths occurring all too often, it remains a popular tourist activity. This is the horrific truth about cliff jumping.

I’M STANDING on the edge of a sheer cliff surrounded by beautiful, inviting Mediterranean waters. The sun is shining and the booze is flowing.

What could possibly go wrong? Well, a lot actually.

It was my first backpacking adventure through Europe and I had joined a “booze cruise” on the Greek island of Corfu that promised a combination of cliff jumping, plenty of beer and swimming.

On the way up to the top of the cliff I began to question things; was I really going go throw myself off it, all in the name of fun?

Supplied with drinks to help ease the growing knot in my stomach, our tour guide had only one warning: “Keep your legs together.”

Why is that so important?

“There have been some serious injuries especially among women if you land with your legs slightly apart,” he explained.

It’s the ultimate rush. Picture: aspearing.

With images of the horrors of child birth running through my head, it was no wonder I stood at the top of the cliff completely terrified.

When I finally did make the dreaded leap it was everything I had feared and more. My landing was seriously off and the crack against the water instantly numbed my legs. Using just my arms to paddle back to shore I developed a searing pain in my lower back.

Seriously worried, I spoke to a doctor who suspected I had fractured my tail bone and the six hour bus ride to Athens the following day was excruciating. There was no treatment to heal it, only time. So the next couple of months were quite painful as I recovered but I am one of the lucky ones.

Just two weeks’ ago an Australian tourist told Channel Seven’s television series, What Really Happens In Bali, of how she fractured her back from a dangerous cliff jump. After drinking all night, 26-year-old Emma, from Melbourne, headed on a group tour to Nusa Lembogan to the 13 metre Blue Lagoon cliff jump, it was a decison she would come to regret.

GALLERY: Red Bull cliff diving world series

The dangers of cliff jumping

So what is it about travelling that makes common sense fly out the window? Why do we partake in activities we’d probably never attempt at home, risking serious injury?

For many travellers taking a holiday isn’t complete without an element of thrill seeking, and cliff jumping has become a popular way of achieving that rush.

But throwing yourself off a cliff face has resulted in horrific injuries including fractured backs, compressed vertebrae, vaginal tearing, bruising and even death.

The danger varies based on the speed at which your body hits the water. You can be travelling over 50 kilometres an hour and the water is like hitting concrete if you get your entry wrong.

Does your insurance cover that?

Tempting fate. The girls in Bali aren’t too keen on the jump. Picture: Channel 7.

Brisbane-based Dr Deb Mills from The Travel Doctor warns, “Sometimes people have alcohol in their system which makes the problem so much worse. You can break legs, damage internal organs and suffer spinal injuries. People die,” Dr Mills told news.com.au.

“If you hit the water directly down that’s fine, but people tend to lose their balance and it’s like a massive belly flop.”

This is what happened to Emma. The tour she was on was run by an Aussie expat, who told the group: “There’s a good chance that some of you may not be able to walk tonight.”

Reluctant to jump, when she finally leaped off the cliff hit the water at such force that she suffered a serious spinal injury which required urgent medical treatment. She then had to endure a terrifying and painful trip back to hospital which was a long way from where she jumped.

Luckily, her travel insurer agreed to cover her. Most won’t.

Emma couldn’t move her legs after the jump. Picture: Channel 7.

The financial pain

Phil Sylvester, Head of Content at insurance group, Travel Insurance Direct, explains why cliff jumping will never be covered by travel insurance.

“Leaping off a three storey building into the ocean will never be covered.,” Mr Sylvester told news.com.au. “There are some things that are inherently dangerous. The water from that height is like hitting concrete.

“You have to realise things are different overseas, there’s no medevac helicopter to rescue you like there is here.”

Problems from the activity are so common that they even have a specific clause warning travellers about cliff jumping in the popular island of Phi Phi in Thailand. However the challenge is getting people to be aware of the fine print.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade considers the sport so serious that it has issued a specific safety warning on their website for thrill seeking Aussies in popular holiday spots such as Croatia.

“Australians have been severely injured after jumping off rocks and cliffs into the sea especially in Split, Dubrovnik and off the coast of the Dalmatian islands. Your travel insurance may not cover injuries sustained from cliff jumping and diving, or while engaging in other dangerous activities. You should carefully check the details of your insurance policy.”

The cliffs of Dubrovnik are frequented by recreational cliff divers who can be watched from a series of bars lining the cliff faces.

The lasting effect

So would I ever jump off a huge cliff into the unknown waters below again? No way. Overseas travel may be about letting your hair down and trying new things but risking my life wasn’t part of the plan. It was a painful reminder that we are not invincible, despite the courage a few beers may give you.

The popular cliffs of Dubrovnik. Picture: Grace. Donoghue.