A tragic incident involving a tourist falling to his death on a zipline was described as an accident waiting to happen, due to inherent flaws in the ride’s design, a coroner has revealed.
During a pre-inquest conference held in Brisbane, Coroner Wayne Pennell listened to the details surrounding Mr. Sanderson’s untimely demise. Counsel assisting the inquiry, April Freeman, provided an account of the unfortunate events that unfolded.
Mr. Sanderson was the first to embark on the zipline, navigating an 86-meter span of cable between two towers, with his wife following closely behind. Freeman explained the sequence of events to Pennell, highlighting a critical moment in the journey.
“As they reached roughly the midpoint of the zipline, they began losing momentum and started to descend,” Freeman stated. “A loud noise or bang was reported, and some individuals noticed the tower vibrating. Tragically, they witnessed the Sandersons plummet into the forest below.”
Mrs. Sanderson, who bravely attended the conference, sustained serious injuries in the fall.
Mrs Sanderson, who attended today’s conference, was seriously injured.
Her husband suffered fatal head and chest injuries, and was pronounced dead at the scene after attempts at resuscitation.
Ropes had been attached to end points by a loop through anchor points that were secured by bulldog-grip clamps.
The adequacy of that kind of grip would be an issue for the inquest, Freeman said.
“The termination on the zipline used by Anderson totally failed on the day of the incident, such that there was no loop at the end,” she said.
“The rope has completely come away and has ended up on the forest floor.”
Zipline passengers exerted up to two tonnes of force on the zipline while its termination points were not sufficiently tightened with a torque wrench, Freeman said.
“A person cannot determine how tight the grips are by visual examination only and the torque of wire rope grips can reduce over time as the rope settles,” Ms Freeman said.
A safety consultant had found the wire grips had well below the required torque strength.
“It was only a matter of time before the failure occurred,” Freeman said.
The Sandersons’ zipline ride, Jungle Surfing Canopy Tours, was run by a company called Keydane.
Keydane stopped operating on the day of the incident and is no longer registered, Freeman said.
“The circumstances of Mr Sanderson’s death raised issues of public health and safety that have not been adequately addressed through other proceedings,” she said.
Former Keydane director Sheena Mary Walshaw was found not guilty in 2024 of workplace safety failures and a case against the company was discontinued.
Mr Sanderson’s death will be the subject of a five-day inquest starting March 2, 2026, Pennell ordered.
Mrs Sanderson and other members of the zipline tour will be among witnesses called to give evidence.
