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Anakeesta Theme Park tragedy: Woman PLUNGES 40ft to death from chairlift in ‘apparent suicide’

The City of Gatlinburg official said that witnesses who spoke to officers confirmed that the woman 'jumped from the chairlift'

A woman, believed to be in her late 20s has died after reportedly falling from a chair lift at Anakeesta Theme Park in Tennessee, according to the witnesses. The incident occurred on Thursday night, July 28, when she was about three-quarters of the way up to the 60ft ride. The barrier on the victim's carriage was reportedly open as the chair lift began to move. The local police arrived at the scene at around 7:41 pm and they looked under the chairlift and pronounced the woman dead. 

The chairlift is used to take visitors up a mountain in Gatlinburg where the attractions are located. According to WVLT, Jeffery McConnell, who was in Gatlinburg with his fiancee and three children at the time, said that the woman, whom he described as being in her late 20s, fell from the lift around three-quarters of the way up the mountain, and was killed. However, the police and local authorities are looking into this matter from a different angle and investigators with the Gatlinburg Police Department said they are investigating the incident as an “apparent suicide.” 

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Other witnesses reportedly tried to warn the woman that her safety railing was up, but she didn't respond, McConnell told the outlet. McConnell said that his family told other visitors waiting in line to “not look down” on their way up. Another witness, Jay Deuro, noted that the theme park staff kept the chairlift going after the incident. "You could see the concern on everyone’s face that was getting on,” Deuro told the outlet. In a later update from Anakeesta representatives, they said they operated the lift long enough to get current riders off, then immediately shut it down.

In a social media post online, the park stated that the Ridge Rambler would be open Friday, July 29 but the Chondola would be closed. After an initial investigation by the state investigator, the chairlift was reopened, according to representatives with Anakeesta. They also said that the incident was not related to the operation of the lift. “The lift will resume normal operations with park opening on Saturday, July 30,” Anakeesta’s statement said. 

City of Gatlinburg official Seth Butler said in a later update that witnesses who spoke to Gatlinburg Police Department officers confirmed that the woman “jumped from the chairlift”. "The Gatlinburg Police Department’s ongoing investigation regarding the July 28, 2022 incident at Anakeesta has determined that the possible cause of death of the female who was found deceased underneath the chairlift is an apparent suicide. The GPD Investigations Division was dispatched to the scene at approximately 7:41 pm on Thursday evening, immediately began investigating the incident and took multiple witness statements which corroborated that the individual jumped from the chairlift", he said. 

The incident is now under investigation and details of the fall are not yet clear.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).