Two Men Lost Their Arms In Brutal Tug-Of-War That Went Horribly Wrong

In a shocking turn of events, a mass tug-of-war competition ended tragically when two participants suffered severe injuries, with their arms being forcefully detached from their bodies during the game meant for celebration.

The incident unfolded on Retrocession Day, a day usually filled with joy and lighthearted contests. 

The event took place in a park beside the Keelung River in Taipei in the year 1997.

An astonishing number of 1,600 contestants participated in the tug-of-war, unknowingly exerting an immense 80,000 kg of pressure on a five-centimeter-thick nylon rope.

The men had to have microsurgery. Credit: Getty Stock

This rope, under such strain, was significantly beyond its maximum capacity of 26,000 kg.

Tragically, the rope snapped in just a few seconds, resulting in the severe injuries of two men, Yang Chiung-ming and Chen Ming-kuo, who were among those pulling on the rope.

The exact mechanism of how their arms were completely detached from their shoulders without immediate realization of their injuries remains unclear.

Due to the graphic nature of the incident, images of the event have been omitted from this article.

However, it's easy to imagine the shock and distress that gripped the other contestants witnessing such a horrifying turn of events during what was supposed to be an enjoyable activity.

Both victims were swiftly transported to Mackay Memorial Hospital, where they underwent extensive microsurgery in an attempt to reattach their arms.

This unfortunate event is not an isolated case in the history of tug-of-war games leading to serious injuries.

In another incident in 2013, two students in California lost their fingers during a seemingly innocent school spirit game.

The game took place during a lunch break, turning disastrous when the rope they were pulling snapped.

The men's arms were severed from the shoulder. Credit: Getty stock image

According to Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Brian Riley:

"They wrapped the rope around their hands and somehow the rope went on to snap, I guess it created some extra tension and caused the injuries."

Initially, their peers thought the breaking of the rope was amusing, but the mood quickly changed as the reality of the situation became apparent.

"Students cheered at first because they thought it was funny that the rope broke, but then they realized what really happened," one student recalled.

The injured students were left in shock, staring at their hands in disbelief, not knowing how to react. 

"They were just both in shock, staring at their hands. They didn't know what to do," another witness shared.

The incident occurred at South El Monte High School, and thankfully, the injured teenagers were reported to be in stable condition following surgery to reattach their fingers, eventually making a full recovery.