Teen dies after falling from moving carnival ride as questions mount over safety

A festive evening in Baja California Sur turned tragic this week when an 18-year-old woman plunged to the ground from an amusement park ride while it was in motion, triggering a criminal investigation and the replacement of the city's civil protection chief, local outlet Expreso reported.

Gabriela Rodríguez Tezoco was riding an attraction called El Péndulo (The Pendulum) at the Cabo San Lucas Traditional Fiestas when she was somehow ejected from her seat while the machine was running as onlookers stood nearby. 

Emergency personnel, including state investigators and municipal police, rushed to administer first aid to the young woman, the outlet reported.

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She was evacuated by ambulance to a hospital but succumbed to her injuries shortly after arriving, according to local reports.

"It is with deep sorrow that we announce that the young woman who was injured in the incident that occurred in the mechanical attractions area of the Cabo San Lucas Traditional Festivals, and who was immediately transferred for medical attention, lost her life despite the efforts of the health personnel," the Los Cabos city council said in a Spanish statement, according to a translation. 

Gabriela Rodríguez Tezoco, shown on the left, was riding The Pendulum at the Cabo San Lucas Traditional Fiestas, shown on the right, when she was somehow ejected from her seat and fell to the ground. (Jam Press)

The fatal accident has sparked administrative fallout. 

Local officials announced the removal of the head of the Municipal Directorate of Civil Protection and Risk Management, according to Mexican news outlets, including Opinión Sonora.

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An interim director was installed to ensure that investigators have unfettered access to the department's files, safety protocols and operational permits, Expreso reported.

Fox News Digital reached out to the local mayor's office, Baja California Sur Public Security and the Los Cabos Transparency Office for additional details.

The accident prompted anger and fallout in Cabo San Lucas, pictured above.  (Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The Baja California Sur State Attorney General’s Office (PGJE) has launched a formal probe to determine liability, local outlets reported.

Forensic experts in engineering and architecture are examining the amusement park ride to verify if it met safety standards, Expreso reported.

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As of the middle of this week, authorities had not named the ride's operators or made any arrests.

"It could have been any one of us."

In the immediate aftermath of the fall, Los Cabos Mayor Christian Agúndez ordered the suspension of El Péndulo and mandated a preventative safety inspection of all other attractions at the fairground, the same outlet said.

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Speaking to a concert crowd at the festival later that same evening, Agúndez urged the community to rally around the grieving family. He pledged municipal support, local news sources reported.

A sweeping preventative safety inspection has been ordered for all other attractions at the fairground in Cabo San Lucas, pictured above.  (Bloomberg via Getty Images)

"Today, with the same spirit with which we come together to celebrate, we must come together to support Gabriela's family. It could have been any one of us. You are not alone," the mayor of Los Cabos said.

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Rodríguez Tezoco was a 2026 high school graduate, according to reports. 

Kelly McGreal of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.

Jessica Mekles is an editor on the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital.