Homemade bungee rig fails, 21-year-old woman dies after 50-foot fall in German quarry

On Saturday afternoon, emergency crews responded to a quarry in Warstein, North Rhine-Westphalia, where a 21-year-old woman from Aschersleben fell roughly 50 feet after a homemade bungee-type highline failed. The group, consisting of four or five climbers, had been scaling the Hillenberg climbing area when she launched off the cliff, hitting a rock face and dying at the scene despite resuscitation attempts. Police spokesperson Daniel Grossert confirmed there is no evidence of foul play and described the event as a tragic accident.

Earlier, a 34-year-old male participant successfully completed a jump using the same setup. The remaining climbers were unharmed but were offered counseling by fire-department chaplains. Authorities are investigating the improvised equipment, which was attached to a double-rope highline normally secured with specialized anchors.