Login | Register | Subscribe to the GG RSS Feed

Zip Lining Safety - Cruise Passenger Death Raises Safety Concerns

1
2
3
4
5
Julia Rosien | 04/01/2008 - 07:53 | 2 comments

Cruise lines scramble to answer safety questions in the wake of tragedy

Ever thought of taking a zip-line tour while visiting the Caribbean? Adrenaline-pumping excursions are lightening rods for cruisers and resort guests who want to feel the rush in a relatively safe environment. But Barbara Sue Fojtasek, 44, of Texas found out that thrills can come with a steep price tag.

On March 18, Fojtasek fell more than 30 ft to her death during a canopy tour on the Honduran island of Conquering FearConquering FearRoatan while her husband and kids watched. The accident happened at a zip line center (Roatan's Gumbalimba Park) that caters to several cruise lines including Norwegian and Carnival.

Details reported by the media were initially sketchy, but CruiseCritic has confirmed that Fojtasek and her guide were traveling down the zip lines in tandem (attached so the guide could control breaking, etc). The pair arrived at a platform where the guide mistakenly unhooked the safety guide from one cable, but failed to reattach to the next one.

Between the next platforms, the primary cable snapped (they're not sure why yet) and they both fell. The guide was treated for serious injuries but has since been released from the hospital.

I took my first canopy tour in St. Lucia a few months ago - my partner shot video during the excursion. What you don't see in the video is my terror, my jello legs refusing to step up to the platform. You don't see me wiping tears away, desperate to conquer this adventure for my own.

I thought the fear was in my own head. But after Fojtasek's death, I'm more aware of what I should have been watching out for during the excursion.

The incident has raised serious concerns about the safety of canopy excursions. Who is responsible for making sure independent operators adhere to safety standards? Should people be given a safety briefing that includes a safety cross-checking?

In all fairness, this is the first incident of its kind involving a cruise ship passenger. What do you think? Would you take a zip line tour after this?

Related Stories

Adventure Zip Lining - St. Lucia
Conquer Your Fears - Zip Line in St. Lucia
10 Best Places in the World to Eco-Adventure
Dollar-Friendly Ecotourism in Costa Rica
Helicopter Ride Over an Active Volcano
St. Kitts Volcano Crater Hike

Rate This Post

No votes yet

Bookmark This Post

  • Delicious
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Magnoliacom
  • Newsvine
  • Furl
  • Facebook
  • Google
  • Yahoo
  • Technorati

Comments

Barb was the mother of one

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 12/01/2008 - 20:52.
Barb was the mother of one of my closest friends, Julia. She was an amazing person, and this is senseless loss of a life. I don't think zip-lining is the problem, it was the carelessness of this particular tour guide. One mistake cost the life of an amazing woman, and to have her family watch her death is the most horrible thing ever. It's a shame Barb had to die while this careless idiot walks away.

My entire family [including

Submitted by raylene (not verified) on Sat, 05/31/2008 - 17:58.
My entire family [including our 8 year old daughter] actually took THAT tour in November and they were fastidious about attaching our cables, I think the problem may have lain in that the tour guide, being so comfortable with that experience, that he became nonchalant about attaching his own safety. I feel for that family. I just can't imagine. ...raylene

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Image CAPTCHA
Copy the characters (respecting upper/lower case) from the image.
Register

Membership is free and with it you can set up a profile, vote on stories and post your opinions.

Already a member?
Login
Not a member? Join!
Register

Most Recent Comments

  • On Canada Goes Green for St. Patrick's Day, Julia Rosien said "Great to meet you as well, Terri. And yes, we adore the Bay of Fundy :-) While I'll agree it's no longer parka weather in your neck of the woods, it's not quite string bikini weather either. Shall we toast to it and let the beer warm us up? Happy St Paddy's Day! Julia"

  • On Canada Goes Green for St. Patrick's Day, Terri said "hey Travel girls, great to hear that you love our Bay of Fundy here on the east coast of Canada as much as you love Tim Horton's ...and, as a Bay of Fundy chick, I love the green tide analogy. For sure, there will be lots of fun times down here around St Paddy's day but I just want to send you a correction to say you certainly won't be needing a parka? to visit at this time of year. It's +8 to +10 degress Celius (that's in the 50s F for our American friends) - definitely well above parka weather. haha So nice that the birds are chirping and the maple sap is flying out of the trees and, ultimately, on to our pancakes. Happy spring! Terri the Bay of Fundy blogger bayoffundy.blogspot.com "

  • On Bonaire - Landsailing or Diving, Ann Phelan said "I love when folks visit our island and immerse themselves in the very cool diversions offered..thanks for sharing."

  • On Tour Bus Crash in Tortola – Caribbean Princess Passenger Dies, Sad and heavy heart said "On a note about the roads of Totrola which are steep, and windy and narrow, all the more reason that tour vehicles should have regular safety checks, SEATBELTS (which dirvers should mandate use or not allow passengers to continue with the tour, driver's should go slow, and Princess Cruise Lines should do extensive background checks, and not hire people with the nick-name of Crash-Dummy."

  • On Tour Bus Crash in Tortola – Caribbean Princess Passenger Dies, Jan said "We were also on the ship with our friends, had spent the day at the beach in Tortola where the slider on my Omega came off, "broke" and lost. I had just purchased it on board the ship the day prior. But nothing can compare to the loss of a family member. The Captain had everyones attention for the announcement. Captain Draper done a great job informing the passengers of the accident. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Rumphrey family."