18-year-old dies after falling from moving amusement ride at festival in Mexico
An 18-year-old teen died after falling from a moving amusement ride at the Traditional Fiestas of Cabo San Lucas in Baja California Sur, Mexico. Authorities have suspended the ride, launched an investigation and replaced the municipal civil protection chief to facilitate inquiries.
MEXICO: An 18-year-old died after falling from a moving amusement ride at a traditional festival in Cabo San Lucas, a resort city in Mexico’s Baja California Sur state, on Tuesday night (20 October 2026).
The teen, identified as Gabriela Rodríguez Tezoco, was riding an attraction known as “El Péndulo” (The Pendulum) at the Cabo San Lucas Traditional Fiestas when she reportedly fell from her seat while the ride was operating, according to Mexican news outlet Expreso.
Emergency personnel, including state criminal investigators, municipal civil protection staff, police and medical workers, responded to the scene and provided first aid before transporting her by ambulance to a hospital.
She died after being taken for medical treatment.
The Los Cabos city council confirmed her death in a statement, expressing condolences to her family and saying she had died despite the efforts of medical personnel.
Ride suspended as investigation begins
Following the incident, Los Cabos Mayor Christian Agúndez ordered the complete suspension of El Péndulo and a preventive safety inspection of the other amusement rides installed at the festival grounds.
The area around the incident was secured while authorities began investigating the circumstances surrounding the fall.
The Baja California Sur State Attorney General’s Office (PGJE) opened a formal investigation to establish what happened and determine whether anyone may be held responsible.
Specialist experts in architecture, engineering and safety are examining the ride to determine the probable cause of the fall and whether it met the required safety standards, Expreso reported.
As of the latest reports, authorities had not publicly identified the ride’s operators or announced any arrests.
Civil protection chief replaced
The incident also prompted an administrative change within the municipality’s civil protection department.
After the festival concluded, officials announced that an interim head had been appointed to replace Francisco Cota Márquez as director of the Municipal Directorate of Civil Protection and Risk Management.
Expreso reported that the change was intended to facilitate the investigation and ensure authorities could access the department’s records, safety protocols and operating permits, as well as obtain any information required by investigators.
The appointment does not, in itself, establish wrongdoing by the outgoing director.
School pays tribute to former student
Rodríguez Tezoco had graduated in 2026 from Plantel 10 of the Colegio de Bachilleres de Baja California Sur, a public upper-secondary education institution in Mexico.
Following news of her death, the school published a condolence message remembering her as a former student and expressing sympathy to her family, friends and the wider school community.
The tribute included a photograph of Rodríguez Tezoco wearing a sash bearing the words “Princesa COBACH 10”.
At a festival concert, Agúndez also called on attendees to show solidarity with her family, saying the community should come together to support them during their loss.
The investigation into the fatal accident remains ongoing.
