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'We Just Dodged Death': Florida Slingshot Ride Snaps Moments Before Launch

PANAMA CITY BEACH (CBSMiami/AP) — Two men looking for a thrill on a Florida slingshot-style ride got the scare of their lives when a bungee cable on the ride snapped just before it started.

The men were about to ride the "Vertical Accelerator" at Panama City Beach's Cobra Adventure Park on Saturday night.

A video posted on Facebook by Krissy Hurst, which has now gone viral, shows what happened.

First you hear a woman say, "Ya'll gonna be screaming like sissies, watch," talking to the riders strapped in and ready to go. Then there's a countdown to launch and one of the workers pulls a lever that would send them flying.

Suddenly, the bungee cable frayed and snapped.

In shock, a woman says "We just dodged death."

As the line snapped, Hurst says couldn't help but laugh at the riders' stunned reactions.

Hurst says it was an acquaintance and his brother-in-law on the ride.

Officials at Cobra Adventure Park did not immediately comment. Hurst says the park gave a refund to the riders but she felt that no one was apologetic.

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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