“... were their hands taped to the rope?”
I’m trying to figure out the physics part of this story. I wonder if you twirl/twist the rope around your fingers... if a finger(s) can be yanked off. If so, wouldn’t just the skin be pulled off. I agree... something is missing from the story.
I am guessing they were using small diameter (1/2 inch or smaller) rope.
If they had twisted a half-turn or more around their hands/wrists...that would do it. You couldn’t let go with tension on the rope.