A woman has fallen 30 feet to her death while riding a 60-foot chair lift at a theme park in Tennessee, according to state officials.
Per WVLT, the woman, who is believed to be in her late 20s, could not immediately be identified after she was found dead under the chairlift attraction at Anakeesta Theme Park in Gatlinburg.
Speaking to the station, onlookers said the 30-foot fatal fall occurred at around 7:30 PM on Thursday and that she did not have her safety railing engaged at the time.
Guests at the park were reportedly told not to look down while on the ride.
Witness Jeffrey McConnell recalled being at the amusement park with his partner and three children when the woman plunged approximately three-quarters of the way up. But the ride continued even after she dropped off.
“You could see the concern on everyone’s face that was getting on,” another witness, Jay Duero, told the station.
The ride last underwent inspection at the end of April and the expiry date of its most recent permit was set for August 4, 2022.
Officials at Anakeesta Theme Park confirmed the tragedy and that an investigation into the ordeal was ongoing.
“Our hearts are with the family of the deceased,” Anakeesta officials said. “We cannot disclose further information at this time.”
The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development will carry out a mechanical inspection of the chair lift, which was shut down on Friday, according to WBIR.
The investigation could go on for eight weeks, according to officials.
As reported by The New York Post, some online commenters who claim to have witnessed the fall say that the woman intentionally jumped off.
“The lady that fell jumped!” read a Facebook comment in response to Anakeesta's note on the ride closure. “Many witnesses. She did not fall on accident. Stop blaming the park.”
This comes after a mom and her two children fell off a chairlift at a ski resort in Colorado in December 2016, The Associated Press reported.
The trio plunged about 25 feet into the snow. The 40-year-old mother, Kelly Huber, was pronounced dead at the scene while her nine-year-old and 12-year-old daughters were rushed to the hospital. According to officials, a safety bar was not lowered down during the ride.
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