Canadian tourist dies after 100m fall from Chiang Mai zip line
Zip line operator Flight of the Gibbon markets itself as being "one of the longest single zip lines in Asia", and having the "highest safety standards" in the region.PHOTO: FLIGHT OF THE GIBBON/FACEBOOK
CHIANG MAI, Apr 16, 2019, Asia One. A Canadian tourist fell to his death while riding a famed zip line in Chiang Mai, Thailand, reported The Straits Times.
According to local media reports, 25-year-old Spencer Charles plunged to his death after the safety locks failed on the zip line operated by the Flight of the Gibbon company.
The accident took place on April 13, moments after the man took off from the safety platform.
An investigation showed that faulty safety locks caused the cable that held onto him to disconnect, causing him to fall 100m down into a rocky creek where he was later found dead.
Local police also suspected that the equipment used on the zip line was not able to bear Mr Charles’ weight. According to The Flight of the Gibbon’s website, riders have to be below 125kg to be able to ride the zip line.
However, Mr Charles reportedly weighed 125 kg and was held only by three cables when safety requirements needed eight cables.
The local authorities have called for the zip line to suspend services as it undergoes police investigation and safety checks. Flight of the Gibbon company has also accepted full responsibility for the accident and has offered extra compensation to the victim’s family.
The zip line operator markets itself as being “one of the longest single zip lines in Asia”, and having the “highest safety standards” in the region. It is also known to be the only zip line operator to allow riders to be alongside wildlife, like Gibbon monkeys, hence its name.
This is not the first time that the zip line operator in Chiang Mai has encountered trouble. In 2016, Flight of the Gibbon was closed for safety checks after three Israeli tourists got injured on the ride.
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