North County

San Diego County Zip Line Operator Dies After Fall

Banning resident Joaquin Romero was working at the La Jolla Zip Zoom outdoor attraction in Pauma Valley when he fell

Zipline platform at La Jolla Zip Zoon outdoor attraction in Pauma Valley
NBC 7

A 34-year-old man working a zip line receiving platorm in North County was fatally injured Saturday, officials said.

Banning resident Joaquin Romero was working at the La Jolla Zip Zoom outdoor attraction in Pauma Valley when he fell trying to assist someone who had just completed the ride, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's office.

Romero's broken body sustained multiple blunt-force injuries during his fall at the site, which is located on the reservation of the La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians.

The 34-year-old man was taken by paramedics to Sharp Memorial Hospital in the Kearny Mesa neighborhood of San Diego.

"He arrived pulseless and [CPR] was initiated," the medical examiner's office said on Tuesday. "Following admission, the decedent was diagnosed with multiple blunt force injuries. The decedent was given a poor prognosis and family decided to place him on comfort care measures which were administered until his death …"

Romero was pronounced dead at 9:26 a.m. on Monday.

According to the Zip Zoom zip line website, the attraction has multiple courses from 300 to 2,700 feet, with riders capable of reaching speeds of up to 55 mph.

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