Terrifying moment tourists fall off cliff swing 6,300ft above canyon after chain snaps

Two woman nearly plunged to their deaths when they were sent flying off a cliff on a swing 6,300ft above a canyon.

Heart-stopping footage posted on social media shows the tourists sitting on the so-called Extreme Swing that overlooks the Sulak Canyon in the Dagestan region of Russia last month.

The Sulak Canyon is about 206ft deeper than the Grand Canyon in the US and is described as the deepest canyon in Europe.

The pair, whose names have not been revealed, are seen sitting on a bench-like swing without any safety harnesses on.

A member of staff stands behind the ride to push them over the edge of cliff while the jubilant duo look around the breath-taking canyon view.

At one point, a crack is heard as one of the two chains snaps from the supporting stand.

The two screaming women are instantly thrown into the abyss.

Luckily they were saved by a small wooden platform located just beyond the cliff edge.

Both of them suffered bruises and scratches before their family and friends pulled them back to safety.

The Ministry of Tourism in Dagestan was aware of the incident and said the swing “didn’t meet official safety standards”.

As stated by local authorities, the girls were not seriously injured.

The ministry added: “The events captured on video took place about a month ago, but only captured the public attention after it was posted on Instagram. The girls are alive and safe.

“Law enforcement agencies and other services are already conducting relevant checks to ensure that nothing threatens lives and health.”

After the incident, the police banned the operation of this attraction and other similar attractions. It is unclear what other measures have been taken in connection with the incident.

An investigation is ongoing into the organisers and the safety standards that were incremented at the time.