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A man has died after falling from a zipline at a popular local attraction in a heroic act to save someone else's life.
The tragic accident occurred on Saturday, October 30, at La Jolla Zip Zoom Zipline in the La Jolla Indian Reservation, according to FOX5.
The man was identified by a family member as 34-year-old Joaquin Romero. He passed away Monday morning from injuries sustained from the fall at Sharp Memorial Hospital.
Romero was an employee at the popular attraction on the reservation.
While he was working, a witness said he was helping a woman get hooked on the platform when she started sliding out on the line. He grabbed onto her harness and they both slid out about a hundred feet above the ground.
His family said Romero feared the woman would fall because of the weight, so he made the heroic decision to let go. The woman made it back to safety uninjured.
La Jolla Zip Zoom Zipline released the following statement about the accident:
“We are saddened and heart-broken over the recent tragic accident involving one of our employees at the La Jolla Zip Zoom Zipline. The Tribe, Tribal officials, employees and Tribal members extend our sincere condolences to our employee and his family for their loss. Like any employer, we pride ourselves on having a safe working environment and a safe and enjoyable experience for our customers. Given the circumstances of the accident, the Tribe is conducting an in-depth and comprehensive investigation, in coordination and cooperation with federal and state authorities. Until this investigation is completed, we won’t be able to provide any further comment on this incident. We ask that you join us in keeping our employee and his family in our prayers.”