Teen killed after safety bar lifts on Mexico amusement ride

An 18-year-old woman was killed after falling from a spinning amusement ride during a festival in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Video circulating on social media shows the moment the safety bar that was meant to hold her in place lifted during the ride's operation, causing her to slip from her seat and fall from a significant height.

The incident occurred last week in the city in Baja California Sur state. The victim, Gabriela Rodriguez Tsuco, was seated on a ride called "El Pendulo," which swings side to side while rotating and tilting riders at sharp angles, sometimes inverting them completely.

Footage filmed during the ride shows Rodriguez Tsuco seated as the attraction moved at high speed. Suddenly, the safety bar covering her upper body lifted, and she slipped from her seat and fell. While other riders screamed in panic, the ride continued operating for several more seconds until a worker stopped it.

Emergency crews and the Mexican Red Cross treated Rodriguez Tsuco at the scene and evacuated her to a hospital, but despite efforts to save her life, she died from her injuries. Her death was confirmed in an official statement from the Los Cabos city council, which expressed condolences to her family.

Following the incident, the ride was shut down and an investigation was opened into the circumstances of the accident. Authorities also ordered safety inspections of other amusement rides operating at the festival grounds to verify their proper functioning. According to local media reports, the fair's rides had been inspected just days before the accident, a detail that has raised further questions in the wake of the fatal incident.