A man named Dean Sanderson died and his wife Shannon was badly injured after the zip line they were riding on failed at Jungle Surfing Canopy Tours in Cape Tribulation, Queensland. The accident happened on October 22, 2019, when the wire rope grip anchoring the zip line was not tight enough and came loose. Coroner Wayne Pennell held a pre-inquest hearing where counsel assisting, April Freeman, presented two expert reports. Both blamed the failure on the way the wire was anchored using a “wire rope grip” or “bulldog clip.” The wire ran through a metal thimble that clamps it in place. The wire unspooled from the anchor point and both Sanderson and his wife fell about 20 to 25 meters. Shannon suffered broken ribs and a fractured scapula, while Dean died on the spot from head and chest injuries. Freeman explained that the tightness of the wire grips cannot be checked by eye and decreases over time as the wire settles. They need regular retightening and maintenance. A report by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland expert Stuart Davies found the grip's torque was only one-seventh of the federal safety standards at the time of the accident. "Calculations by Mr Davies carried out indicated that, at the time of the incident, there was at least two tons of force being applied to the main termination as the Sandersons were travelling along the zip line," Freeman said. The coroner also learned that federal standards for wire rope grips are inconsistent. Some ban their use, while others allow them but regulate their operation, causing confusion in the industry. The zip line carried tourists tandems for about 86 meters between two rainforest towers. The Sandersons were among 10 people riding it then. Workplace Health and Safety Queensland filed two prosecutions after the incident but no convictions were made. The company running the zip line has since been deregistered by ASIC. The coroner will start a five-day inquest into the death in March next year. It will examine 11 key issues, including safety standards for zip line rides and operator qualifications before the failure.