Tourists Question Safety Of Bali’s Adventure Activities After Child Gets Stuck On Zipline

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Leaders in Bali have formally closed the Flying Fox Zipline attraction in Nusa Penida following an incident where a young child got stuck partway along the zipline and was left dangling over the ocean.

Footage of the incident has gone viral online and has leaders and tourists questioning after standards across the adventure tourism industry. 

The frightening footage circulating online shows a youngster suspended along a newly installed zipline close to the world-famous Diamond Beach.

The youngster, realizing that they are stuck, makes the smart decision to use their body weight to help create some momentum to move he manages to swing and nudge the roller slowly and steadily along the zipline cable.

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The child got stuck at an estimated height of 100m above the ocean below, on the zipline, which is approximately 180m long.

The Head of the Civil Service Police Unit (Satpol PP) and the Klungkung Firefighter, Dewa Putu Suwabawa, revealed that the attraction has been operating since the 2nd July 2024.

He confirmed that the man operating the business was only issued a permit from the authorities to establish a ‘beach attraction’ and does not hold a permit for building a zipline. 

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Suwabawa told reporters, “When we called [the owner] to show him a beach tourism permit while his activities are man-made tourism activities, this flying fox is not suitable, so he has a permit but not according to his designation.”

Suwabawa immediately closed down the operation and told reporters that the principle of the Klungkung Regency Government strongly supports new investors who want to develop tourism in Nusa Penida.

However, he stated clearly that he hopes that investors will also obey the applicable rules and seriously consider where extreme tourism attractions such as zip lines are appropriate. 

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Speaking separately, the Nusa Penida Police Chief, Kompol Putra Sumerta, confirmed that the child did not suffer from injuries. He said, “The foreign child was safe and did not get injured…The opposing wind direction and light body don’t make the roller move. The child was stuck for about three minutes.”

This incident has sparked a conversation around safety standards and adventure activities in Bali more broadly.

Many are questioning how the zipline attraction could have been built illegally and operated for well over a week before the authorities closed it down, and only did so following an incident involving a child which had the potential to end in far worse circumstances than it did.

Activities such as ziplines, the famous ‘Bali Swings’, and even white water rafting have all seen incidents of tourists getting stuck, injured, and in some cases even dying as a result of taking part, as has tragically been the case with some white water rafting experiences.

Many Bali lovers online are calling on the government to do more to ensure public safety in adventure and adrenaline-fuelled tourism activities. 

Nusa Penida is home to some of Bali Province’s most dangerous beaches and coastal attractions, Diamond Beach, Kelingking Beach, and Angels Billabong, to name but a few.

Leaders have just this month confirmed that they are taking action to make these attractions safer for tourists.

Speaking earlier this month, the Head of the Klungkung Tourism Office, Ni Made Suliastiwati, said that she had installed safety fences and warning boards on several beaches in Nusa Penida, which have a high risk of accidents. 

She told reporters, “We have installed warning and swimming prohibition signs. We will increase this by placing security officers in vulnerable destinations.”

However, many feel yet more needs to be done. Emerging reports from Nusa Penida this afternoon reveal that a female tourist has slipped and fallen on the treacherous cliffside trail at Kelingking Beach and is suspected of suffering a neck or spinal injury.