Bungee jumper hurt eyes

AN 18-year-old woman was partially blinded after bungee jumping more than 150ft in a charity-sponsored event. Even after three months her sight in one eye remained badly impaired, writes Celia Hall.

Specialists say the woman's sight deteriorated six hours after her jump.

Mr Nabil Habib and Dr Tahira Malik, of the Wolverhampton and Midland Counties Eye Infirmary, found that she suffered a haemorrhage in the sensitive central part of each retina, probably because of a sudden rise in pressure. They warned that if this could happen in the eye, then in might also occur in the brain. But the elation experienced after jumping - which can last for several days - may mask any symptoms.

Writing in tomorrow's edition of the Lancet they say she lost 'central' vision in both eyes. In her right eye she was reduced to being able only to count fingers held before her face, and with her left eye she could only see at 6 metres what a normally sighted person could see at 9 metres.

Mr Habib said that he thought her eyesight would eventually get back to normal. 'Even when people are fit and healthy we think it is important that they are alerted to possible dangers,' he said.