Woman Dies at Theme Park After Falling From Chairlift

A woman was pronounced dead after reportedly falling out of a chairlift at a theme park in Tennessee this week, in what officials believe was a suicide.

In a statement obtained by Newsweek, the city of Gatlinburg said, "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."

According to the statement, the Gatlinburg Police Department's Investigations Division arrived at the Anakeesta theme park at around 7:41 p.m. local time on Thursday. Responding officials spoke with multiple witnesses who "corroborated that the individual jumped from the chairlift," the statement said.

"The Investigations Division identified the deceased individual as Jessica Rhea Ford, 40, of LaVergne, Tennessee. Detectives contacted the deceased individual's family after the incident," the city added in its statement.

WVLT spoke with witnesses, one of whom, Jeffery McConnell, said the woman, who was not identified by officials, fell out of the chairlift as it was traveling up a mountain. McConnell said that when the woman began her ascent, other riders waiting on line tried to notify her that a safety railing wasn't in place.

In a statement sent to Newsweek, a spokesperson for the Anakeesta theme park said, "Based upon the City of Gatlinburg's internal investigation, yesterday's incident on July 28, 2022 was the result of an apparent suicide....We mourn this tragic loss of life. Our deepest sympathies are with the family."

Prior to the updated statement sent to Newsweek, the theme park told WVLT on Thursday that, "A tragic incident occurred this evening. 911 was called immediately. Our hearts are with the family of the deceased. This is currently an active investigation. We cannot disclose further information at this time."

According to the Anakeesta website, the park's Chondola is "the WORLD's ONLY fixed-grip Chondola where our guests choose to ride in an open-air 4-person chair with a safety bar or select an enclosed gondola cabin with seating for 6."

"This scenic ride takes you up 600' to the summit of Anakeesta Mountain where you will enter the whimsical Firefly Village," the website says.

The theme park told Newsweek that after the incident on Thursday night, the park allowed riders on the chairlift to exit once the ride ended and then shut the ride down.

"The chair lift was thoroughly inspected 60 days ago by an outside inspector, and was again reviewed by our lift team after the incident. From initial review of the incident, it appears the death was not related to the operation of the lift. The lift was found to be in safe working order," the park said.

Several TripAdvisor reviews of the Chondola expressed similar concerns over the ride's safety.

"The ski lift is definitely an accident waiting to happen. There are no safety precautions at all. We had a two year old with us assuming we would be safe however there are no seatbelts and the bar doesn't even stay in place," a TripAdvisor user wrote in a review last year.

Another review said that the Chondola's safety bar is placed down in front of riders "manually."

"So it can be moved at any point during your ride. There is nothing else on the lift to keep riders safe," the review said.

Several other TripAdvisor users had a different take on the park's attractions, with one reviewer saying it was a "fantastic place to visit."

"The sky lift is pretty long and high. We got to see a bear on the way down. The top is absolutely well maintained," the review added.

Gatlinburg city official Seth Butler told WVLT that officials were called to the theme park on reports of an incident with the chairlift.

"Upon arrival at the scene, the Fire & Rescue Department found a female under the chairlift who was deceased," Butler said. "The Sevier County Medical Examiners Office also responded to the scene and pronounced the victim dead. The incident remains under investigation at this time and information will be released when it is available."

Chris Cannon, a spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development told Newsweek that the department's chief elevator inspector will conduct an investigation.

"The chair lift, or aerial lift, is considered a conveyance device and is under the jurisdiction of the state's Elevator Unit," Cannon said. "While on-site, the Chief Elevator Inspector will conduct a mechanical inspection of the aerial lift and review multiple aspects of the lift's operations."

According to Cannon, the park's chairlift was last inspected on April 21 and its operating permit is set to expire on August 4.

The incident comes a few months after a teenager fell off the Free Fall ride at ICON Park in Orlando, Florida. Local media outlets reported that the 14-year-old male fell more than 400 feet and died.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "988" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.

Update 7/29/2022, 4:15 p.m. ET: This story was updated to include new information about the incident.