A 59-year-old woman who fell 35 feet to her death from a zip line platform at a Delaware state park had "disconnected herself from the safety system" at the time of the accident, witnesses say.
Tina Werner was waiting to ride the zip line at the Go Ape Tree Top Adventure at Lums Pond State Park in Bear on Wednesday afternoon when she tumbled
from the platform.
Park rangers and Go Ape employees performed first aid on Werner until help arrived, but she was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Foul play is not suspected.
Daughter Melissa Slater wrote on Facebook later Wednesday that her mother was "full of love and adventure," and was "completing her bucket list."
Slater said her mom, who recently had traveled to Venice and had taken a hot-air balloon ride, told her Tuesday night that she was going to do the zip line.
"I wasn't surprised," said Slater.
She said her mom, who was visiting Lums Pond with a friend, was able to complete at least one zip line ride before falling.
"So she did do it," said Slater.
Go Ape said in a statement on Thursday that Werner "had unfortunately disconnected herself from the safety system" when she fell, according to witnesses. The tragedy took place toward "the end of the activity."
"We confirm that a full inspection of the course, with particular focus on the last platform at site 4, has been undertaken and all of the course and associated safety equipment was and remains in sound operational condition," read the statement. "Nothing was broken or unserviceable."
While participants navigate the course without direct supervision, Go Ape says its instructors are constantly on the course to offer assistance.
The ride has been closed for an undetermined amount of time to help with the investigation, and also out of respect for Werner's family.
"The Go Ape company is extremely saddened by this," Davis said.
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