| This story has been corrected. See below. |
A 29-year-old Maui woman died Thursday morning after falling 150 feet from a zip line on Maui, authorities said.
The woman, a worker for Piiholo Ranch Zipline, was identified as Patricia Rabellizsa.
"The Piiholo Zipline Ohana expresses its condolences and sympathy to those involved in today’s tragic event. We especially offer our deepest aloha and prayers to the family and friends of our co-worker Patricia ‘Trish’ Rabellizsa at this difficult time," Piiholo Zipline said on its Facebook website.
"We are working in full cooperation with the Maui Police Department’s ongoing investigation."
Piiholo Ranch Zipline offers zip-line tours, treetop canopy tours and an "Xtreme" zip/climb adventure tour.
The Maui Fire Department was called at about 9:50 a.m. to the zip-line operation in Upcountry Maui and dispatched crews from Makawao and Kahului and the department’s helicopter.
Rabellizsa’s friend Brendan O’Leary said Rabellizsa was born in Kihei in South Maui, moved to California and had moved back just a few months ago.
"Wonderful person — she was the aloha spirit personified," O’Leary said. "The world lost a great citizen today."
Rabellizsa,who listed Santa Rosa, Calif., as her hometown, wrote a message of hope and optimism to her friends and herself on her Facebook page Dec. 31.
"If we all would take more time to discover and fulfill our purpose (then) the world that we exist in every day would be filled with Bright, Loving, Confident, Powerful individuals Radiating Love and a Positive Collective energy … Good luck to you all …"
Rescue crews were hampered by difficult terrain in the gulch where Rabellizsa fell, according to fire officials. The crews "hiked to the unresponsive female, who was airlifted back up to the ridge," fire officials said.
Maui police are investigating the incident, they said.
Mauinow.com reported that as of noon Thursday the company was notifying guests with reservations that it would be canceling tours for the rest of the day and would not be doing tours until further notice.
Zip lines send thrill-seekers gliding along cables at speeds approaching 30 mph. They are often in rural areas, usually over tree canopies, and have been gaining in popularity, especially on the neighbor islands.
In 2011 a Hawaii island zip-line tower collapsed because of weak soil, sending Ted Callaway, 36, of Lahaina plunging to his death. The line was being built along the Big Island’s Honolii Stream. Another worker was critically injured in the accident.
Maui has about a half-dozen zip-line attractions.
Mauinow.com reporter Wendy Osher and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
CORRECTION
Patricia "Trish" Rabellizsa, the Piiholo Ranch Zipline worker who died Thursday after a 150-foot fall on Maui, was 29 years old. A previous article Friday reported she was 20.
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