Tourist Killed at Chiang Mai Zip-line, Staff Fabricate Cause of Death

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CHIANG MAI – A 32 year old Chinese National Wang Qi has broken her neck and died while sliding on a zip-line at the Flying Squirrels adventure in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai, police said Tuesday.

The 32-year-old woman was sliding down a 600-meter (2,000-feet) zip-line on Sunday when a worker failed to grab her during a maneuver to stop her from traveling further, police Col. Adun Somnuk said. She then hit another person in front, he said.

Pol Col Suchart Kan-ngern, chief investigator at Mae Rim police station, said police were rushed to the scene upon being alerted that the Chinese woman had died of heart failure on the treetops ride.

The operator of the Flying Squirrels adventure at Pong Khrai village in Mae Rim district told police Wang had died of heart failure on the zip-line adventure ride on Sunday afternoon.

However a post-mortem examination at Nakornping Hospital concluded she had suffered a broken neck and shoulder bones.

Officers sent to inspect the zip-line operation are questioning the staff and witnesses, he said, adding that the staff could be charged with causing death by negligence if there is enough evidence.

Two other zip-line accidents have occurred in Chiang Mai this year. In July, an American tourist broke several ribs after colliding with a Chinese tourist on a zip line.

In June, a Chinese tourist fell to his death while sliding through a zip line due to a safety lock malfunction.