Several British tourists were among a group of backpackers who cheated death when their Mexican tour bus rolled towards a 1,000-metre cliff edge. The near-death ordeal left multiple people needing hospital treatment, with one man from Portsmouth describing it as "the most terrifying experience of my life" and another traveller left "drenched in blood".
Tour bus slides backwards towards canyon
The group were on a tour of the Sumidero Canyon in Chiapas - a set of dramatic limestone cliffs rising up to 1,000 meters above the winding Grijalva River in southeastern Mexico. After walking around to take in the view, they boarded their tour bus at the top of a steep drop, when it started sliding backwards.
Fearing they were headed for the canyon, the tourists began diving off headfirst to save themselves. The bus luckily hit a bollard and came to a stop before going over the edge, but many passengers have been left traumatised by the ordeal, with some left injured and needing hospital treatment. The tour, which left on July 9, cost 600 Mexican Pesos (£25.66) per person.
Passengers describe terrifying escape
James Gamble, 30, from Portsmouth, Hampshire, said: "I honestly thought I was going to die. It was hands-down the most terrifying experience of my life."
"Everyone was diving off the bus headfirst, thinking we were headed for the canyon. I just imagined the bus tilting backwards with nothing I could do. It was horrific. I didn't stop shaking for an hour afterwards; people who weren't even on the bus were crying and having panic attacks."
James said one passenger, Madeleine Glen, attempted to grab the handbrake as the bus was rolling, but it was already up.
Injuries and hospital treatment
Several members of the group were hospitalised following the terrifying incident as they sustained injuries while fleeing the bus. Sophie Badelt, 22, from Switzerland, hit her head on a parked car as she dove from the moving bus and was left bleeding profusely.
A British nurse from another tour of the canyon helped to bandage her head while they waited for an ambulance. Brit Hugo Evans, 20, was also injured in the ordeal and bandaged at the scene by paramedics. He said: "I dove out of the van, headfirst - that was the only option. I was in a blind panic. I thought we were going to die for sure."
"I hit my head on the floor and there was a lot of blood. I thought we were headed for the cliff. Everyone was freaking out when Sophie was screaming... She was drenched in blood. It was terrifying."
There were three Dutch passengers; Britt van Engelen, 28, Yesol Sihn 29, and Floris van Neer, 30. Also onboard was Belgian tourist Hanne, 23, and Australian pair Garrison Hamlin, 28, and Brodie Hampson, 28.
Aftermath and refunds
Former journalist James, who stayed on the bus until it came to a halt, says he has been left shaken by the ordeal. "We took some photos of the canyon at the viewpoint and were told to get back on the bus," he said. "The van was parked on a hill and I was sat near the back."
"We all piled back on the bus and, as the last people were getting on, we started rolling backwards. Maddy tried the handbrake, but it was already up and panic set in within seconds."
"Then there was an almighty crash as we hit the bollard and the five of us still on darted off the bus. The first thing we saw was Sophie lying on the floor, crying desperately for help and with blood seeping out of her head."
All the passengers have since been refunded, and Sophie says that she has been compensated for her medical bills after weeks of back and forth.
