One man was killed and another seriously injured as they tested a zip line on Hawaii's Big Island on Wednesday.
The man who was killed, a 36-year-old from Maui, was about halfway across the 2,300-foot line above a stream bed when a tower holding up one end of line collapsed. He plunged 200 feet into the rocky stream bed and died at the scene. The injured worker, a 35-year-old from Ohio, fell about 30 feet from the collapsing tower and was in critical condition at Hilo Medical Center, according to a statement from the Hawaii Police Department.
The two men were working on a new course at the zip line facility just outside Hilo when the accident occurred, their employer, Experiential Resources Inc. of Maui, said in a statement distributed by Hawaii247.com. On its website, the company bills itself as "the global leader in the designing and building of adventure courses, canopy tours and zip line courses."
The company that owns the zip line, Lava Hotline, told CNN affiliate KHON-TV that all lines at the facility would be closed pending an investigation.
“The course is being shut down for the next two weeks while we do an inspection and make sure that everything is totally safe,” company owner Gary Marrow was quoted as saying. “It’s been a really difficult day.”
“We will conduct a careful, thorough review to determine all of the facts in this case. We need to know exactly what happened and why," Big Island Mayor Billy Kenoi said in a statement on Hawaii247.com.
Audrey Hidano, deputy director of the Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, told CNN affiliate HawaiiNewsNow that zip line operators face little state regulation.
"It's not like a construction contractor. There's no licensing. If anything they register it as a business, pay your general excise taxes, pay your unemployment insurance and all that, but I don't believe there is a license involved in this," she said.
Any government regulation of zip lines would require legislative approval, she said.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Zip line 2 hell
Someone dying is what makes it so funny.
Remarkably sad that the world has to tolerate you consuming air...
Debbie said putz, is this Debbie Reynolds again? You know my restraing order against you is still valid.
Thank god you aren't in hawaii. I would have freaked reading this. Ps ur never zip lining in hawaii. Sorry
Zip-a-de-do-da Zip-pa-de-day my-o-my da crazy things u say.
Gee ... the companies
press release really shows a lot of sympathy ...
All they seem to care about is their image and th ... $$$
Reading through all these comments makes my heart sad realising how alone we all are in this world. People laughing making jokes while families are shattered hearts are broken dreams are lost. I pray you all remember today and get up from ur computers and look around @ your family and wait for the days others will laugh at u when ur wife,sons,daughters leave this world and their passing is staind by the laughter of idiots.
It never occurred to them to send a few sacks of spuds down the line? Avoidable tragedy.
Cheeze mo your a fricken idiot! !
May I purchase U a ride on a zip line...2 hell?
Peaple everzhere should learn not to trust anybody from ohio,nor anywhere near ohio and the west bank.
Cursed is the man who trust in man.The equivalent of Cursed is the "god"who trust in god. CELLESTIAL PROTECTION COMES FROM THE MAKER AND PROPRIETOR OF THE FIRMAMENT, THE INFINATE VAST EXPANCE AND ALL LIFE FORM... ONLY!
Every body is a comedian...disrespectful clowns...
u guys its not frickin funny that someone died,and its not nice to call people fat all its doing is hurting that person that youre calling that to so if you dont have any respect whatsoever for thi than i sugjest that you frickin erase youre account and never ever make on again
If any body has any comments against the TRUTH that eye speak,it is better for you if you held your breath forever.BLESSED ARE MY FRIENDS.
If they were blessed they would be spared ur friendship
i dont know about you but im bein serious