Zipline damaged in fatal helicopter crash to reopen after maintenance
Maintenance work is under way at the world’s longest zipline in Ras Al Khaimah after a helicopter struck the cable and crashed into the mountainside, killing its four crew members.
Toroverde RAK, which operates the ride at Jebel Jais, this week said it was running a full assessment of the cable after last month’s accident.
It said the zipline would open “as soon as the necessary maintenance has been completed”, and that the safety of its visitors was a priority.
The company said customers with bookings would be contacted to reschedule appointments or be refunded.
Last month, the AgustaWestland 139 search-and-rescue aircraft was on a mission when it clipped the cable, sending the helicopter into a tailspin before it crashed.
Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Ruler of RAK, ordered an immediate investigation into the safety and security measures at the site. The crew members who died in the incident were pilot Saqr Al Yamahi, pilot Hameed Al Zaabi, navigator Jasim Al Tunaiji and paramedic Mark Roxburgh.
The 2.83-kilometre Jebel Jais zipline became the world’s longest when it opened in February last year, surpassing the 2.5km Monster Zipline in Puerto Rico.
Riders travel at between 120kph and 150kph, 1,680 metres above sea level.
The zipline had been closed for more than half an hour when the crash happened.
The 2.83-kilometre zipline became the world’s longest when it opened in February last year