Six-year-old survives zip line accident: How to stay safe

(NEW YORK) — A 6-year-old child has survived after falling 40 feet from a zip line in an accident that was caught on camera.

The boy had been spending the afternoon zip lining with his family at an amusement park in Mexico.

But the child’s harness failed and the boy was sent plunging straight down into an artificial pool underneath him.

A tourist reportedly rescued the boy and the boy’s family said they plan on suing the ride operator for what they say was poor training.

This incident is the latest in a string of injuries from zip lining.

Another 6-year-old was injured in Georgia last week while zip lining and her father is planning a lawsuit against the adventure park after he says he was forced to save his daughter when the zip line rope became wrapped around her neck and was strangling her.

In Colorado, another zip liner had to be rushed to the hospital after someone else on the zip line collided into them last month.

“I lost consciousness as soon as I took the impact,” zip line guide JP Schiller told Denver ABC affiliate KMGH.

Schiller had been attempting to rescue a 10-year-old boy who had gotten stuck on a zip line when another zip liner hit them at 30 mph.

“I basically grabbed his harness while we’re both still attached to the line and then rotated my body so that I took the impact and the little boy didn’t,” Schiller recalled. “My memory picks up in the hospital, I was treated for a mild concussion, loss of consciousness, a sprained wrist as well. And pain in my lower left leg.”

Ian Adamson, an adventure and obstacle sports expert, told GMA that zip lining can be hazardous.

“Some of the worst injuries, they can happen at speed,” Adamson said. “Look to see if, before you go down a zip line, see if there’s anyone on it. The guides sometimes are not quite aware. So the fallback is yourself.”

Experts also recommend avoiding any equipment that is worn down as well as checking reviews of zip line companies before an adventure.

“These are not regulated,” Adamson said. “There are standards and the standards are quite good. But not everyone complies and they’re not mandatory. So just be aware.”

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