Dutch Man First Person to Survive Fall from 4,000-Foot World’s End Cliff in Sri Lanka
A Dutch man miraculously survived after falling off the World's End, a 4,000-foot cliff and tourist attraction located in central Sri Lanka.
The incident occurred on Saturday as Mamitho Lendas, 35, and his new wife were visiting the World's End in the Horton Plains National Park of Nuwara Eliya during their honeymoon, report the New York Daily News. Apparently, Lendas was taking pictures of his bride when he took a few steps back and stumbled off the edge of the cliff, said army spokesman Brigadier Jayanath Jayaweera. Fortunately, a tree broke the man's fall and prevented him from suffering from further injuries, added Jayaweera.
"He was extremely lucky because he fell on top of a tree about 130 feet from the top," Jayaweera told AFP. "He is the first person to survive a fall from World's End."
The Dutch honeymooner was rescued by about 40 Sri Lankan troops who used rope to slide down the brush-covered cliff and get him to safety. The soldiers then carried him on their shoulders for a few miles until they reached a location to drive him to a hospital.
Authorities also reported that was in stable condition.
"His condition is stable, and he is out of danger," said a police official.
"It was very scary and very painful as well," Lendas told reporters after being discharged from the hospital, according to The Telegraph. "[At] the time, I was taking pictures and I had a misstep and I fell down backwards, two times, and then I sat in bushes for like three and a half hours and ... [it was] the longest three and a half hours of my life."
His wife, Linda, also thanked a Canadian man who helped her husband while he was trapped on the side of the cliff face.
"He just talked to him for hours, and we want to say thank you to him and his wife. She helped me very much," she said.
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