Zipline death inquest in Queensland
Analysis based on 6 articles · First reported Aug 11, 2026 · Last updated Aug 11, 2026
The incident may raise safety concerns for adventure tourism operators in Australia, potentially affecting consumer confidence and regulatory scrutiny. However, the impact on the broader market is minimal given the localized nature of the event.
The family of Aaron Anderson (Medal of Honor), a 50-year-old mine project manager from Adelaide, expressed anger at the conclusion of a coroner's inquest in Brisbane over his death from a zipline accident in far north Australia — Queensland on October 22, 2019. Sanderson fell up to 25 meters through the rainforest canopy at Cape Tribulation, and his wife Shannon also fell and was seriously injured. The inquest heard that Jungle Surfing Canopy Tours, the operator, failed to register course design changes and did not employ qualified staff for construction and maintenance. The wire rope grips at the end points of the cable experienced 'total failure' and were not properly maintained or tightened with a torque wrench as required by legislation. Family members called the death avoidable and a 'tragedy waiting to happen', urging safety improvements. Coroner Wayne Pennell said findings would not be delivered before late October.
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