A preliminary investigation into the death of 29-year-old zipline tour guide Patricia Rabellizsa shows she was not riding a zipline when she fell nearly 150 feet into a ravine in Hawaii.
The report says that Rabellizsa, who was from Santa Rosa and was working for Piiholo Zipline Ohana in Maui, fell from a landing platform on May 1.
Maui police said that an investigation revealed that Rabellizsa was working on the platform when a zipliner entered at high speed, striking the springs at the end of the line and propelling her back, Mauinow.com reported.
According to a Maui Police Department press release, Rabellizsa grabbed onto the zipliner to prevent her from going back down the line, but the momentum took them both back onto the line.
Eyewitnesses said Rabellizsa was able to hang on to the zipliner for a few minutes until she lost her grip and fell into the gulch below, police said.
The report said Rabellizsa was not in a safety harness when she fell.
