What began as a thrilling adventure turned into a nightmare when a woman’s bungee cord snapped mid-jump. Australian traveler Erin Langworthy plunged 360 feet into Zambia’s crocodile-filled Zambezi River during a 2012 bungee jump gone wrong.

“I started coughing up blood and thought I was dying,” Langworthy told The Guardian. Despite being dragged underwater with her feet still tied, she managed to fight free and swim to safety. Rescue workers eventually pulled her from the river and rushed her to a nearby hospital.

Doctors treated her for lung injuries and exhaustion but were amazed she escaped without broken bones. “It’s a miracle she survived,” one medic said. The bungee company later apologized and said they were “astonished” by her survival.

Langworthy now looks back on the terrifying ordeal with gratitude — and humor. Before the jump, she sent her mother a postcard joking, “If I don’t come back, goodbye!” Her story is a chilling reminder of how quickly adventure can turn into survival.