1998 GMC C1500 User Comment / Complaint

I was standing on the tailgate unloading oil and the driver's side cable on the tailgate broke. i was not injured but was upset because i thought maybe there would be damage to my tailgate, that it may may dented or sprung. i purchased a new cable and installed. i questioned the cable as to how it looked when broken. it almost looks as though it was cut. the cable being covered did not show any signs of wear. i would have thought the cable should have broken in strands. it just seems to be an unusual break.