WORKER KILLED AT PAUMA ZIP LINE IDENTIFIED

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East County News Service

November 27, 2021 (Pauma Valley) – The San Diego County Medical Examiner has identified Joaquin Romero, 34, of Banning, California as the worker who died on November 1st after a fall a day earlier in Pauma Valley at the La Jolla Zip Zoom line operated by the La Jolla Indian tribe. 

Romero was reportedly working on the receiving platform when he plummeted approximately 70 feet after trying to assist a rider on the zipline.

A witness told Fox 5 San Diego that Romero was helping a woman get hooked onto the platform when she started sliding out on the zip line. He was unable to stop her and grabbed onto her harness, causing them to slide out farther.

He was transported to a hospital, where he arrived without a pulse and CPR was initiated.  After admission, his diagnosis was poor and his family decided to place him on comfort care measures until his death was pronounced. The Medical Examiner confirmed the cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries.

The zip line, opened in 2015, was marketed at the time as California’s longest zip line with multiple courses up to 2,500 in length.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the tribe have both indicated they are conducting investigations into the tragic accident.

 


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