Without waiting for a response, he signaled for Lisa to go, according to a criminal complaint against Flight of the Gibbon filed by the Chiang Mai public prosecutor. So, is Ziplining dangerous? A moment later, Lisa came rocketing across. Do commercial zip lines undergo regular inspection? Common Zip Line Risk Injuries. The standards pertain to the use of zip lines as well as their training, operation, inspection, performance, and design. Wear the correct clothing and footwear for the activity. The basics of all our safety procedures were designed by him, and they have been continually updated to meet international standards. Schwartz wrote. However, gloves are unnecessary if you are doing a hands-free ziplining course. Ziplines Are High in the Air. The answer is yes, or at least, it should be. This is required to keep everyone safe at all times. While it can be easy to throw safety items on the back burner, always try to keep them in mind. When done without the "dip" part it is the Kohala Canopy tour (and is less money if that matters).. After about an hour, the group arrived at a 980-foot cable that sagged across a wide valley. As for safety gear, your guide will provide all the protective equipment youll need for the zip line. If youre near one of our Adventure & Zipline Parks in NY, MA or WI wed love to see you in the trees! If regulations and oversight are inconsistent domestically, theyre almost nonexistent internationally. The above stats do not cover amateur zip-lining courses, of which their safety is completely negligible. We have a practice line where you can test out your equipment to ensure you feel comfortable with it. They sailed across several lines and crossed a hanging bridge. Lisa had broken six ribs, as well as her tailbone and pelvis, and had suffered a partially collapsed lung. Heres what you need to know before you zip-line for the first time. To ensure your zip line experience is a safe and enjoyable one, here are some tips for zip line safety that you should follow. There are several types of injuries related to zipping that can occur if safety precautions are not taken. In 1999, he co-founded a luxury resort in Nepal that offered bungee jumping, canyoneering, and a high ropes course. Use your body weight to slow your descent rather than pushing off of your feet or hands. Accounting for all of our Boundless Adventures staff, we have thousands of hours of zipline experience and safety briefings under our belt. Unfortunately, with zip lining, there is a real risk of danger or injury. Make sure the company has been in business for the long term and has insurance to cover any accidents. By ziplining instead of walking, natives could bypass dangerous terrain as well as transport equipment and supplies. The standard 719 galvanized wire kind of looks like a Twizzlers Pull n Peel with at least seven cables that are each comprised of smaller wires. Flight of the Gibbons Gary Searle claims that McWhorter was a consultant and deniesthat he has been a partner or manager. However, regulators dont typically inspect individual zip lines in person. People have to do their homework., Done safely, zip-lining can be a family-friendly activity, but its not necessarily something that should be undertaken on a whim where information may be scant and regulations lacking. The young girl was strapped into a zipline harness by a worker trained in zip line usage and safety. Now theyre coming to a city near you. There were only 16 ziplining deaths from 2006-2016, and they havent become any more common. Lisa had broken six ribs, as well as her tailbone and pelvis, and had suffered a partially collapsed lung. Ziplining can be scary if you are inexperienced or afraid of heights. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, zip-line across ski runs in the off-season at Hunter Mountain, zip-line in your own backyard using DIY kits, 12-year-old girl at a YMCA camp in North Carolina died, after becoming disconnected from the safety wires at the Go Ape Tree Top Adventure, safety regulations across the country are variable, Association for Challenge Course Technology, West Virginias Zipline and Canopy Tour Responsibility Act, intentionally placed on the same zip line, reportedly agreed to abide by a set of regulations. (The Ultimate Guide), What Is Tandem Paragliding? Only move forward with a company whose answers make you confident in your safety. If youre sure ziplining is for you, then heres what else you need to consider. Main Navigation. People experience zipline courses roughly 70 million times per year. Their data comes from an American Journal of Emergency Medicinereport. Yet without federal regulations, the rules might not be stringent enough to always be upheld. 22 Best Ziplines in the United States By VacationIdea Staff on March 7, 2023 - Updated upslim/stock.adobe.com There's no two ways about it: Ziplines are just cool. Vancouver BC V6Z 0E2 When youre ziplining, you want to be comfortable. This is dangerous if physical activities make your blood pressure spike. Canada, extreme sports enthusiast with over 5 years of ziplining guide experience. Flight of the Gibbon shut down for two weeks, and the police promised an investigation. A 2015 study looked at data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System and found that there were 16,850 zip-line-related injuries between 1997 and 2012. At the Chiang Mai reception center, the Sayre family donned helmets and harnesses and received a safety briefing in which they were instructed how to ridethe lines. We knew she was alive, Rich says. In January 2016, the American National Standards Institute, an umbrella organization that oversees voluntary standards for everything from chairlifts at ski resorts to carabiners for climbing, accredited the ACCTs zip-line-specific standard, which lays out specifications for things like braking systems and staff training. Zip line accidents in North Carolina and Hawaii have spurred calls for mandatory safety regulations in those states, but such measures are unlikely to include state inspectors on the ground. A joke I always made as a guide was We could zip you across in your car if your car could fit in a harness. Asking which type of brakes a particular operator uses can give you clarity before your first zip-line experience. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. The length of the ziplining course can also affect how scary it is, but your tolerance for heights is the ultimate determining factor. Moving could have killed her. As adventure parks make their way across the Pacific and open in every U.S. state, the question to ask: Is anyone regulating them? According to a summary of regulations compiled by zip-line vendor Experiential Systems, officials often review only engineering plans and operation manuals for permit approval and licensing and simply require operators to undergo annual third-party engineering inspections. Here are some tips for ziplining maintenance and inspection: -Check the zipline for wear and tear regularly and make sure to fix any damage immediately. That is why you should wear gloves when ziplining to protect your skin. In October, they pled guilty in court to charges of negligence and causing grievous bodily harm by failing to properly communicate with each other using their radios. We also require gloves on all of our courses. Icy Strait Point ZipRider - Hoonah, Alaska Bigger is better, right? These horrific collisions keep occurring.. Up to 77 percent of these fatalities were attributed to falls. It is important to make sure that the equipment is in good condition, that the operators are trained properly, and that participants understand the risks involved when participating in this activity. There are typically 3,700 zipline accidents per year in the United States. Broken bones and bruising account for just over 60% of all ziplining injuries. Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Then, in October 2015, a tourist reportedly broke her neck during a bizarre accident at Flying Squirrels, when two tourists were intentionally placed on the same zip line. Yes, it is. In 1996, Canadian entrepreneur Darren Hreniuk adapted Perrys concept to launch the self-proclaimed Original Canopy Tour in the cloud forests of Monteverde in northern Costa Rica. Out of 14 local zip-line parks, Flight of the Gibbon is the oldest, most widely touted, andat about $100 per personthe most expensive. Thats one reason the Sayres filed a $1.4 million civil lawsuit against Flight of the Gibbon in Buriram Provincial Court in September. The company boasts a half-mile cable that representsone of Asias longest single zip-line flights and promises that its zip lines exceed qualifications for the highest safety standards in the world. At the time of the Sayres visit, the companys website noted that attention to every detail of this protocol has allowed us to fly hundreds of thousands of people on our zip lines without incident. The company runs two other zip-line parks in Thailand and a third located near Angkor Wat, Cambodias ancient temple complex. There were 16 ziplining deaths over 10 years and that is quite low compared to other extreme sports, such as skydiving. When youre on the zip-line course, pay attention. We outlined earlier the various inspection criteria that some states utilize, which should put your mind at ease. Some of the more common zip line injuries occur when either the harness or the line itself fails, causing the user to plummet to the ground resulting in broken bones, head injuries, even death . Two died after an inflatable boat capsized, one . This makes you go faster and also means that you will drop lower than you would on a shorter course in the beginning or middle. The companys website now touts its adherence to ACCT standards, and Searle says it plans to be the first in Thailand to employ a full staff certified by the ACCT. Ziplines were originally designed as transportation for transport of people and goods across potentially dangerous terrain, including mountains. If you get a bad feeling about zip lining there, then youre probably better off continuing your search. 2. 18. In lieu of federal regulations, in some states, (such as in Pennsylvania and Florida), a states Department of Agriculture might oversee zip lining activities. Ask questions if you have any concerns so that you are fully prepared when it is your turn. Feb 2017. Yet its complicated history is enough to engender concerns about nascent zip-line enterprises around the world. Laza said the. On April 25, 2013, at age 56, Allardice died of melanoma on his visit to a zip line he was building in Cambodia. Where I worked, we caught you during the landings. But when tourists are far from home, in a place like Thailand or Ecuador, typically they dont take the time to file lawsuits or campaign for change, which would involve navigating foreign bureaucracy. If not them, then itd be the Labor Department. First, be discerning when it comes to where you choose to zip-line. Everest, although it's been done hundreds of times. A 2015 study in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine found that the number of zip-line injuries in the United States has increased from a few hundred per year in the late 1990s to more than 3,600 in 2012. Now think about zip lining companies in countries with lower safety standards. The company has updated the safety section of its website. Joni Sweet is a freelance travel writer whos driven by adventure. 4. If you read our other posts on zip lining on this blog, then youd recall that zip lines cables are made of galvanized wire. Its important to use proper safety techniques while on your adventure so you dont suffer any unnecessary consequences. Heading out the door? Several states have already begun to incorporate it into law. Learn more about her on her personal blog. Are there special rules for zip lining? Certain lines sag as the current zipliner jumps from the platform, and if you are standing under it the line can smack you very hard in the head. When I am on a rollercoaster I find I get a stomach sickness from all the motion, plus you get way more G-force on a large rollercoaster, when ziplining you get pretty much none. Always pay attention to your tour guide so that you are prepared to safely zipline. Outdoor Troop also participates in affiliate programs with Bluehost, Clickbank, CJ, ShareASale, and other sites. Lisa stumbles over words and has trouble following conversations. Inexperience can be dangerous if users do not follow the instructions of the zipline operator. The tours, which take 2 hours and 30 minutes, involve six underground zip lines, including a dual-racing line. These injuries included everything from sprains to cuts and broken bones. Sayre, who leads Nikes footwear quality team, lived in the country in the late 1990s and was back for a vacation with his wife, Lisa, their two daughters, and a Thai exchange student they had hosted at their home in Oregon. Her work has been published by National Geographic, Lonely Planet, Forbes, Travel Weekly, The Christian Science Monitor, Thrillist, Where magazine and dozens of other outlets. In todays article, well talk at length about the safety of zip lining, including statistics that will help you make up your mind. Well see you up there! According to Guinness World Records, the longest zip line on earth is the 8,300-foot Monster at Puerto Ricos Toro Verde Adventure Park, which sends riders careening at 93 miles per hour. Written June 27, 2023. On the morning of July 13, 2015, Rich Sayre and his family arrived at the thatched-roof reception center of Flight of the Gibbon, a treetop adventure park outside of Chiang Mai, Thailands second-largest city. He wrote that he wanted to gather as much information as possible to make sure it does not happen again. But she didnt respond, and he never followed up with her. Feel free to ask questions like how often the zip lines are inspected or what kind of safety equipment the company uses. That's right, and we have the stats to prove it. Your Visit. Many people still die trying to climb Mt. Their report mentions that from 2006 to 2016, there were 16 zip-lining deaths. Southwick stopped working for Flight of the Gibbon after Allardices death. Lisa was in the intensive care unit for three days while Rich debated whether to approve a risky surgery to save her vision that would involve cutting open her skull. By mid-January, Flight of the Gibbon was back in operation. Zipline tours can last for an extended period of time and involve a lot of standing and climbing obstacles. The grand finale is a 65-foot rappel down to the forest floor.