Fall during festival celebrations
The fall happened shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday during the Traditional Festivals celebrating the Feast of St. Luke. Cabo San Lucas is in Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, on Mexico's Pacific coast.
Video recorded by a fellow passenger shows Rodríguez Tezoco slipping out of the restraints and then being thrown from the ride. Known as both the Pendulum and Fireball, the ride has a long steel arm that swings back and forth before making a full 360-degree rotation.
According to SDPnoticias, paramedics provided treatment at the fair before Rodríguez Tezoco was rushed to a local hospital. She died there shortly afterward.
Local news outlets identified Rodríguez Tezoco, who had recently graduated from Colegio de Bachilleres. Her former school, Plantel 10 Las Palmas, confirmed her death in a tribute honoring her as a member of the 2023–2026 graduating class.
Investigators secure the ride
The Baja California Sur Attorney General's Office (PGJE) opened a case into the accident. The installation remains under precautionary seizure as specialists assess what may have caused a failure or the fall; the cause has not been established.
Rodríguez Tezoco's body was taken to the Forensic Medical Service (SEMEFO) for a legally required autopsy to determine her cause of death.
Los Cabos Mayor Christian Agúndez ordered a review of the fair rides and addressed the death on social media. "Since I became aware of what happened, I have been monitoring the situation. My first thought is with her and her family," he said.
"The relevant authorities are already carrying out the necessary procedures to find out what happened," Agúndez said.
Safety checks preceded the death
Municipal Civil Protection officials had reported inspecting the fairground and its rides on October 16, four days before the fatal fall. Francisco Cota Marquez, who headed the department at the time, said the checks showed that "everything was in order" and promised "full safety for families," according to local reports.
On October 21, the Los Cabos council named Diego Camacho Hale as the incoming acting head of the municipal Civil Protection and Risk Management department while the investigation continued.
The council said the temporary leadership change was intended to allow a transparent, unobstructed investigation and give investigators access to departmental records. It announced no sanction against Cota.
Separate fatal fall in Georgia
Earlier in October, 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem died in the United States after a fall from Goliath, a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia near Atlanta.
