A visitor from California was injured today while ziplining on Maui.
Fire officials say the woman’s injury is considered life threatening.
The accident happened at Maui Tropical Plantation in Waikapu just before 10:30 this morning.
This is promotional video on YouTube from Maui Zipline Company, which operates five ziplines at Maui Tropical Plantation.
The company promotes itself on its website as "Maui’s newest and most family friendly zipline course."
This is where firefighters were called to Monday morning to rescue an injured zipline rider — a 43 year old tourist.
"The female, a visitor from Fremont, California was coming down the zipline and she was going to land on the middle tower and attempted to land. She tried to break I guess with her leg and attempting to do so injured her leg," said Lee Mainaga, Maui Fire Department Fire Services Chief.
Firefighters determined the woman’s femur, or thigh bone, was fractured.
"They put her in a splint, and put her on a backboard and onto a basket, and at that time our rescue unit along with Air-1 arrived on scene, and they picked her up from that tower and airlifted her to a landing zone in front of the plantation," said Mainaga.
Mainaga says the woman was taken to Maui Memorial Medical Center in critical condition.
"I think this is the first injury that we responded to at this location," said Mainaga.
Maui Zipline Company is one of at least nineteen zipline operations throughout the State.
Last September on the Big Island, a man fell to his death, and another was injured, after a zipline tower collapsed.
The State recently released the results of its investigation: that "weak soil" caused the collapse.
Currently, the zipline industry in Hawaii is self-regulated, and routine inspections are not mandated by law.
This past March, State lawmakers deferred a bill that would’ve established standards and regulations for operators of ziplines and canopy tours.
But they did adopt a resolution "requesting the Auditor to perform a sunrise review on the regulation of ziplines and canopy tours … including an assessment of alternative forms of regulation."
The findings are to be submitted to the Legislature before the 2013 session convenes in January.
Maui Zipline Company did not return our calls for comment.
See the original article at: KHON2 Developing Stories
