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 the scene to administer first aid to the young woman, the outlet reported.

TOURIST DANGLES 23 STORIES ABOVE STREET IN ‘RECKLESS’ DAREDEVIL STUNT

She was evacuated by ambulance to a local 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. 

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 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 currently 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.

In the immediate aftermath of the fall, Los Cabos Mayor Christian Agúndez ordered the total 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.

"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.

A spine-tingling rescue unfolded in New Zealand this week after a tourist's parachute became snagged on a luxury hotel, leaving the man dangling 23 stories above a busy street before his eventual arrest.

The tourist, a Belgian national, was attempting to BASE jump from the 27th floor of Auckland's Hotel Indigo when his parachute became caught on the building's exterior.

BASE jumping is an extreme sport that involves parachuting from fixed objects, including buildings, bridges and cliffs.

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The incident took place at around 10:42 p.m. Tuesday night, police said.

The 22-year-old man has since been charged and is scheduled to appear in Auckland District Court on Oct. 27, according to police.

The rescue came at a steep cost, with firefighters forced to smash a glass panel worth about $20,000 New Zealand dollars (about $11,400 USD) to reach the stranded tourist.

"Fire and Emergency New Zealand were able to free the man. However, the building suffered damage to the exterior, and guests staying at the hotel had their evening disrupted due to the event," Inspector Grae Anderson, the area commander of Auckland City, said in a press release.

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"In order to reach the man on the outside of the building, a glass panel worth approximately $20,000 had to be smashed."

Police reported that the tourist was not injured and did not require medical treatment.

Anderson said investigators believe the tourist was the same person who filmed himself BASE jumping from another Auckland building in September that was under construction. 

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"We do not condone this type of behavior," Anderson said. 

"It is reckless and poses risk[s] to the person jumping and those on the ground."

Inspector Anderson said he hopes this incident will make anyone else thinking of repeating these types of stunts reconsider.

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"In this case, the man not only needed rescuing, but paying guests [at] the hotel had their stay impacted, and expensive damage had to be caused to facilitate that rescue," Anderson said. 

"This is unacceptable, and, now, instead of leaving New Zealand and carrying on with his travel plans, he will stay here and face the consequences of his actions."

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Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, received roughly 2.3 million international visitor arrivals recorded at its airport in the year ending November 2025, according to a report from Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, the region's economic development and tourism organization.

BASE jumping can involve jumping from natural formations, but the activity is generally prohibited in U.S. national parks without authorization, according to the National Park Service (NPS). 

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While there are no regulations specifically addressing BASE jumping, the activity is "generally prohibited by NPS regulations" but may be permitted after a park planning process, the agency said in a 2024 memorandum. 

Americans traveling to China are being warned about the possibility of detention, electronic surveillance and restrictions that could keep them from returning home, with a travel expert sharing critical information for people to know before they go. 

The U.S. State Department issued an updated Level 2 "Exercise Increased Caution" advisory for mainland China this week, citing concerns about wrongful detention and restrictions on leaving the country.

Travelers are told to be aware that routine professional, academic and personal activities, which carry no risk in Western countries, could be treated as criminal offenses under China's broad security laws.

STATE DEPARTMENT ISSUES TRAVEL ADVISORY AS ARRESTS AND EXIT BANS HIT POPULAR DESTINATION

The advisory also raises concerns about private communications, warning Americans that emails, texts and social media activity could be monitored by Chinese authorities.

"Assume that China's security services can read your emails, texts and social media posts if you send them to or from China," the Oct. 19 advisory states.

The State Department said some people have been detained or deported over private messages considered critical of Chinese authorities, even when those messages were sent outside China.

The risks extend beyond electronic communications.

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The State Department elaborated on possible detention without justification.

"The U.S. Department of State has determined that Americans are at serious risk of wrongful detention by the Government of China," the advisory states.

Those detained could spend years behind bars with limited contact with family members or U.S. officials, according to the department.

Travelers could also face restrictions that prevent them from leaving the country, even if they have not been detained.

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Chinese authorities have used the "exit bans" during investigations and business or civil disputes. Exit bans have also affected relatives of people under investigation, including children, according to the advisory.

Some travelers may not know they're prohibited from leaving until they try to fly home.

"U.S. citizens might only become aware of an exit ban when they attempt to depart China," the State Department said.

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Some bans have lasted for years. Officials warn there may be no clear way to challenge them in court.

Americans who plan to visit China are advised to travel with a U.S. passport and valid Chinese visa, enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program and arrange regular check-ins with family members or an employer.

Fox News Digital reached out to the U.S. State Department for further comment.

"Be aware of your surroundings. Think before you take a picture," advised Bobby Laurie, a longtime travel expert and former flight attendant.

"This is one of those situations where maybe you were spotted taking pictures of law enforcement on the street, or you were somewhere you shouldn't have been. Maybe you were inadvertently near a protest on the streets," he added. 

"Then as your trip comes to an end, you head to the airport. You scan your boarding pass, ready to get through immigration to fly home. And then you realize you're actually not allowed to fly home. There has been an exit ban placed on you."

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He said anyone traveling to China should go with "a cell phone or electronic device that is really stripped down just to what you need for your trip."

Leave confidential information at home, he also urged. 

Americans traveling in and through the Middle East have a new wrinkle to sort out.

The U.S. State Department has pushed back against circulating reports that it directed nonessential government personnel and their dependents to leave the entire Gulf region, clarifying that the departure order applies only to Saudi Arabia.

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott dismissed the broader regional claims, calling them "inaccurate" after the department released a formal statement confirming the targeted drawdown within the kingdom. 

"The U.S. Department of State issued an ordered departure for non-emergency U.S. government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia," the department said. 

AMERICANS WARNED AGAINST TRAVEL PLANS AS TERRORISM THREATENS POPULAR DESTINATION

The clarification arrived amid an uptick in militant strikes aimed at key regional transit hubs. 

In the statement shared with Fox News Digital, the spokesperson noted that "Iranian-supported Houthis have increasingly engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure resulting in civilian casualties and severe travel disruptions."

Officials warned the security environment remains highly volatile, adding the conflict "has the potential to escalate rapidly, including beyond that immediate area."

The department emphasized that the safety and security of its staff and its households remain its highest priority. 

US STATE DEPARTMENT WARNS AMERICANS OF GROWING SECURITY RISKS IN HISTORIC REGION

The United States "will continue to take all necessary steps to protect and support them as they return to the U.S.," the spokesperson said.

In late September, the State Department renewed its warning to Americans traveling in and through the Middle East amid escalating regional tensions.

The warning came as Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched a ballistic missile toward Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which Saudi Arabia said its air defenses intercepted.

Residents reported hearing an explosion and later seeing a plume of smoke near King Khalid International Airport, according to The Associated Press.

No casualties or damage from the attack were reported at the time.

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In an X post in September, the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs warned that the security environment in the Middle East "remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation."

The agency added, "Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise heightened vigilance and be aware of potential flight cancellations, airspace closures and travel disruptions."

Officials specifically cited hostilities between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthis in their warning.

"Iranian-supported Houthis have engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including civilian airports," the post said.

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"This military conflict has the potential to escalate rapidly. Americans outside the Middle East should seriously reconsider travel to and through the region."

The agency also advised those traveling to or from the region to monitor airport and airline operations, warning that U.S. diplomatic facilities have been targeted, including outside the Middle East.

In June, U.S. officials similarly urged Americans across the Middle East to remain vigilant as tensions mounted across the region.

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At the time, officials warned that airspace closures, demonstrations and threats to locations associated with the United States could disrupt travel with little notice.

The State Department also maintained its "Level 3: Reconsider Travel" advisory for Oman in an Aug. 30 update, warning of risks from armed conflict and terrorism, including the threat of drone and missile attacks from Iran.

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Andrea Margolis of Fox News Digital and The Associated Press contributed reporting.

A 70-year-old man disappeared for more than 24 hours, prompting an extensive search that stretched into the evening.

The Oahu man was last seen in the Big Island's Volcano area before he was reported missing around 12:16 p.m. Oct. 19, according to the Hawaii Police Department.

The man was identified as David Arai, whose son told Hawaii-based news station KHON2 his father was familiar with the area's hiking trails and that he frequently hiked alone.

MISSING 72-YEAR-OLD HIKER FOUND ALIVE DAYS AFTER FRIGHTENING 100-FOOT FALL LEFT HER BADLY INJURED

Police believed the man was at risk due to his age and other information gathered during the investigation.

Officers later located Arai's empty rental car inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, according to the department.

Hawaii Island police and National Park personnel searched the area on the ground, while a Hawaii Fire Department helicopter assisted from above.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Hawaii Police Department and David Arai for comment.

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K-9 Trina, a 3-year-old Labrador retriever specially trained to track people by scent, joined the search with her handler, Officer Christopher Ross, police said.

At about 7:30 p.m., Trina located the man on a trail roughly 2 miles from where his rental car had been found, according to the department.

Ross told KHON2 that Arai was lying on his back in bushes just off the trail when they found him.

Trina approached the man and licked his hand, according to the officer.

"The man was safely carried back to the trailhead and was subsequently transported to Hilo Benioff Medical Center for medical treatment due to dehydration and exposure," the department said in the press release.

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The discovery marked the second time in two months that Trina located a missing person, according to police.

Originally from Sweden, Trina is trained to help locate missing children and endangered adults throughout Hawaii.

Just last month, she helped authorities locate an endangered teenager in Waikoloa, police said.

Fox News Digital previously reported on another search for an older hiker who disappeared during a trip in Northern California.

Mary Beth Granbery, 72, was reported missing after leaving for a multiday camping trip on Sept. 28 and failing to return as expected.

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Family members later found her camper van at the Cabin Creek Trailhead, prompting authorities in Siskiyou and Shasta counties to launch a coordinated search.

Ground crews found Granbery alive near Cabin Creek on Oct. 4 after she fell down a steep embankment and suffered serious injuries and exposure to the elements.

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A California Highway Patrol helicopter helped lift Granbery from the rugged terrain before she was taken to a hospital, where authorities said she was in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries.

The national park is also home to Kilauea, which recently erupted for the 55th time since late 2024 after a rare two-month pause, according to Fox Weather.