A woman has died after apparently slipping out of her safety harness and falling 60 feet during a mile-long zipline ride Italy's Bitto Valley.
Ghizlane Moutahir, 41, died on Sunday afternoon after falling to the ground at the Fly Emotion park in Alpi Orobie near Bema, near Lake Como, in Italy.
She was nearing the end of the mile-long thrill ride when witnesses said she began to “struggle” and then slipped out of her harness.
Paramedics rushed to the scene but nothing more could be done and she was pronounced dead. The police and the judiciary have now started an investigation into the horrific accident.
Moutahir's two nieces, who had just completed their flight on the zipline, were watching their aunt's turn for the 100 km per hour ride and were filming when disaster struck. Detectives are examining the images the girls took.
Ghizlane Moutahir, 41, (pictured) died on Sunday afternoon after falling to the ground at the Fly Emotion park in Alpi Orobie near Bema, near Lake Como, in Italy
The tragedy unfolded on Sunday when hundreds of people gathered at the Fly Emotion park, which opened in 2011 and is one of the area's main tourist attractions.
The zipline suspends adventurers over the valley between Albaredo and San Marco and Bema using a harness hanging from a steel cable.
Moutahir was riding the first part of the route, between Albaredo and Bema, and had almost reached the arrival station when she fell, according to local media reports.
Witnesses say she hung vertically for several seconds before falling.
Initial investigation revealed that Moutahir had 'stopped' just before arriving at the end of the zipline, 'began to struggle' and then 'her feet slipped out', a police spokesman said.
“This led to her losing her balance and she fell from the harness some 20 meters away into the woods below and died instantly,” he added.
'It is also possible that she had a panic attack and was struggling as a result, or perhaps another medical episode, but we are awaiting the post-mortem results.'
Moutahir (not pictured) was nearing the end of the mile-long thrill ride when witnesses said she began to “struggle” and then slipped out of her harness (zipline archive photo)
The zipline holds adventurers above the Bito Valley between Albaredo and San Marco (photo) and Bema using a harness suspended from a steel cable
Authorities will carry out checks on safety equipment and have temporarily closed the park as a precaution while the investigation is carried out.
“A video of what happened taken by her nieces is also being examined and the local prosecutor has opened an investigation,” the spokesperson said.
Moutahir, who was of Moroccan descent but lived in nearby Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, was married and had no children. She took advantage of Sunday's warm weather and had a day out with her extended family.
Her nine-year-old husband Michele, who had stayed home because he was suffering from a toothache, rushed to the park after the tragic incident. He told The Republic that 'I should have been there with her too'.
“I thought she just hurt herself, but now she's gone,” he said, before sharing his own hypothesis about the situation. “If you look at the footage, it's clear what happened: she was poorly secured, facing the wrong way, her legs were out and she fell.”
Matteo Sanguineti, director of Fly Emotion, said: “Our first thoughts are with the lady and her family. We are still not sure what happened and I am in shock and disbelief.
Moutahir, (photo), of Moroccan descent but lived in nearby Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, was married and had no children
'We are working with the authorities to try to understand what happened. The zipline opened 13 years ago and in that time over 200,000 people have used it and we have never had any incidents. I am shocked and in disbelief.”
Stretching across a valley, the zipline starts at Albaredo at an altitude of 3,000 feet and then ends at Bema, at 8,400 feet.
There was a message on Fly Emotion's website: 'All activities have been temporarily suspended. We apologize for any inconvenience.'
The attraction has top reviews on Trip Advisor and a worker from Newcastle-upon-Tyne wrote: 'Absolutely brilliant. Have fun. If you're in the area you have to try this! Don't think about it, just fly.'