On May 26, 2026, Hong Kong media Hong Kong01 reported that safety management issues in the high-altitude amusement ride industry have been highlighted, following a fatal "Waterfall Swing" fall accident that occurred at a tourist facility in Huaying City, Sichuan Province.

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According to the report, on the 3rd, a 16-year-old female tourist died while experiencing the "Waterfall Swing" at Malyu Rock Exploration Park in Huaying City, Sichuan Province.

The "Waterfall Swing" was designed to move from a high platform using a pulley, then detach from the pulley at a point about 10 meters away from the rock face, swinging widely in the air like a pendulum with the waterfall in the background. However, at the time of the accident, immediately after departing from the platform, the back rope connected to the pulley suddenly came loose, and the falling woman crashed into the rock face.

Huaying City's accident investigation team determined that the cause of the accident was improper operation by an on-site employee, who activated the detachment switch from the pulley before the woman had reached a safe position. Authorities ordered the park and related companies to suspend operations, and criminal enforcement measures were taken against the company's person responsible for the accident.

According to the article, Wang Hai (Wang Hai), a high-altitude amusement ride developer active in the industry for over 10 years, pointed out that the equipment lacked a "foolproof design" to prevent unexpected detachment due to operator error.

Furthermore, Wu Xiao (Wu Xiao), an engineer working at a special equipment inspection and research institution in China, raised the issue that new types of attractions have unclear categorization, and there are no specialized inspection technical standards at inspection institutions.

The article pointed out that there are approximately 100 similar facilities currently operating in China, but not a single one has completed the official inspection process or obtained legal permits. It reported the reality that some tourist destinations are inspecting other sites and creating "imitation products" that lack safety devices.

Furthermore, the view was presented that while the installation of equipment compliant with regulations costs 1.5 million to 2 million yuan (approximately 35 million to 47 million yen), imitation products can be kept to 300,000 to 400,000 yuan (approximately 7 million to 9.3 million yen), which is a major factor contributing to the proliferation of imitation products with safety risks. (Edited and translated by Kawajiri)