A terrible tragedy involving a zipline took the life of a woman in Italy yesterday.
On Sunday, May 5, Ghizlane Moutahir was enjoying a day out with her family in Valtellina, Orbie Alps when disaster struck.
The 41-year-old was taking part in an aerial cable ride with Fly Emotion, a zipline sports facility in Bema which boasts a route that takes users 230 meters above sea level.
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The ride takes participants on a thrilling journey between Bema and Albaredo to San Marco, on the other side of the mountain, leaving them suspended in the air attached to a safety harness.
While the activity is deemed safe, and the wires can travel up to speeds of 60 mph, on this particular day, something went terribly wrong.
According to reports by News Italy 24 Press, Moutahir slipped out of her harness near the end of the route to the ground below, with video footage of the accident captured by her niece providing evidence to the police.
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There are mixed local reports about how this could have happened, with several hypothesis speculating what could have caused the woman to fall out of the harness, but news stations within the area reported that investigators are reviewing the camera footage to determine what happened.
According to News Italy, investigators haven’t ruled out a medical episode, a panic attack or the incorrect fitting of her harness as the cause for her fall.
The publication confirmed that the Alpine Rescue and the Sagf-Alpine Rescue of the Guardia di Finanza were able to recover her body after she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Having fell approximately 50 metres near the end of the wire, witnesses told local news that she appeared to ‘struggle’ after she suddenly slowed on the zipline in preparation to get off, before her feet slipped out of the harness and then her body.
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The Fly Emotion facility released a statement to TODAYNews to speak about the incident yesterday, and admitted that they are cooperating with the authorities to find out what happened to Moutahir.
The company said: "We still don't know precisely what may have happened. I am shocked and in disbelief. We are at the complete disposal of the judiciary which is now investigating. And we are close to the victim's family.
"Over 200 thousand people will have flown on the crossing between the towns of Bema and Albaredo. I am shocked and incredulous."
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The facility states that ‘all activities are temporarily suspended’ on its website.
UNILAD contacted Fly Emotion and local law enforcement for further comment.
Britt Jones