Tourist, 25, plummets 330ft to his death after zipwire harness snaps in Thailand
The Canadian man was on holiday with his girlfriend and friends when he tragically fell to his death
A TOURIST has fallen more than 330ft (100m) to his death after his zipwire broke in Thailand, authorities say.
The Canadian man, 25, was on holiday in Chiang Mai with his girlfriend and a group of friends when he tragically died.
According to local media reports, the incident took place on Saturday morning, when his cable disconnected and he plunged hundreds of feet to his death.
The Flight of the Gibbon zipwire attraction, in Mae Kampong village, has reportedly been shut while police investigate what caused the breakage.
Authorities are assessing whether the ride’s weight limit was exceeded, as the man is said by police to have weighed 264lbs.
They are also investigating the possibility of negligence on the part of the operators.
SAFETY LOCKS BROKEN
Workers at the zip line service said the safety locks broke shortly after the tourist took off from the starting point, according to
A spokesperson for Canada’s Department for Global Affairs : “Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family and friends of the Canadian citizen who died in Thailand.
“Consular services are provided to the family and loved ones of the Canadian.”
On Saturday, Chiang Mai deputy governor Komsan Suwan-ampa said the body of the Canadian tourist had been brought to Maharat Hospital, awaiting his father’s arrival to take him back to Canada.
FAMILY’S COMPENSATION
The company has said it will accept culpability for the man’s death and will compensate his family.
The Flight of the Gibbon attraction is approximately three miles long and includes 33 different platforms, making it the longest in Asia.
The course had to be shut in 2016 when three Israeli tourists collided with each other and fell to the ground, but survived.
Then in 2017, during an inspection, the zipwire was found to be encroaching on state land and the company was ordered to dismantle sections of it, leaving it closed for some time.
Two Chinese tourists died at two separate zipwire attractions, operated by Skyline Adventure and Flying Squirrels in 2015, the last time a death of this nature occurred in the Chang Mai region.
