Investigators working the case of a 20-year-old Colorado nurse who died in a bungee jumping accident are turning to eyewitness accounts after finding that the equipment she used was in good working order.
The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment worked with Head Rush Technologies to test the device and also confirmed the company’s finding. A spokeswoman said that the agency will now focus on witness testimony to determine what happened.
Romero died after jumping from a 70-foot tower at the Get Air attraction. Thrill seekers climb up a ladder in one tower of a converted grain silo, walk on a wooden platform and jump down another tower. After 15-20 feet of freefalling, the bungee rope breaks the fall and the person is lowered down slowly.
Get Air uses the QUICKjump XL freefall device manufactured by Head Rush Technologies. Get Air hired Bonsai Design to design the attraction.
In a statement released to The Sentinel about the testing of the device, Head Rush Technologies detailed extensive testing performed following Romero’s death.
“This inspection involved testing, which subjected the device to various loading profiles across a range of weights, where the velocity and force were recorded in simulated descents,” the statement said. “The inspection and testing determined that the device, webbing, and triple-locking carabiner were found to be intact, and functioning normally, with no apparent damage.”
The QUICKjump XL device is temporarily banned from use in Colorado while Romero’s death is investigated. Get Air has reopened but without the Silo bungee attraction.
Now that the device was proven to be in good working order, investigators will look to interviewing eyewitnesses.
“We’re looking at all possible causes,” Cher Haavind, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, told the Sentinel. “This is extremely rare, which is why the investigation is taking longer.”
Romero was the first person to die at a Colorado amusement park in 15 years. Testing the equipment she used was the first step in the investigation.
“Our priority is ruling out one thing at a time,” Haavind said. “Do know that we’re working quickly to get an answer.”
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