Georgia Woman Tamirah Dix Dies In Puerto Rico Zip-Line Freak Accident [GoFundMe]

MARIETTA, GA. (THECOUNT) — Marietta woman, Tamirah Yasmeen Dix, died Saturday in Puerto Rico after sustaining a head injury while zip-lining at an adventure park in the island’s mountainous interior, her heartbroken family says, calling her sudden death a “freak accident” that has left a community in mourning.

Dix, of Marietta in Cobb County — roughly 20 miles northwest of Atlanta — was visiting Toro Verde Adventure Park in Orocovis when she suffered a blow to the head before or during a zip-line run. The injury did not appear serious at first. Dix completed the rest of her day’s plans before retiring for the evening, according to her family. She was 40 years old.

After she fell asleep that night, she began experiencing seizures. Paramedics responded and transported her to a hospital in Dorado, on Puerto Rico’s northern coast — but Dix did not survive the journey. Puerto Rican authorities confirmed her death at 6:32 p.m. on Saturday, March 29, 2026. Her body was subsequently transferred to the Puerto Rico Institute of Forensic Sciences, where an autopsy is pending.

Toro Verde Adventure Park, located on Road 155 in Orocovis — approximately an hour and 45 minutes southwest of San Juan in Puerto Rico’s central mountain region — is home to some of the longest zip lines in the world, including “The Monster,” a 2.5-kilometer cable capable of reaching speeds in excess of 95 mph, and “The Beast,” spanning nearly 1.5 kilometers. The park draws thousands of tourists annually and has been featured on national television programs.

Following Dix’s death, the park’s operations manager, Emanuel Ortiz, issued a statement saying an internal preliminary investigation found no record of any impact, incident, or irregular situation during Dix’s visit. “We will not make additional statements on this matter at this time as it is an ongoing investigation, but we reiterate that at Toro Verde Adventure Park we have strict safety protocols requiring immediate notification and attention of any incident, however minor,” Ortiz said, adding that the park’s staff is trained to respond according to internationally recognized standards. Authorities with Puerto Rico’s Criminal Investigation Corps (CIC) in Vega Baja are continuing to probe the circumstances of her death.

Back home in Marietta, grief rippled quickly through the tight-knit community of Marietta High School alumni — where Dix graduated with the class of 2004 — and through the circle of friends and family who knew her as the kind of person who lit up every room she entered.

Her best friend, Brittani Hebron, whom she met in the ninth grade, remembered Dix as a constant and irreplaceable presence in her daily life. The two grew so close they called each other sisters.

“She’ll lift me up, pick me up. She likes to elevate people,” Hebron told 11Alive.

The pair had a name for themselves — the Golden Girls — a nod to their preference for quiet evenings over big nights out.

“We called ourselves the Golden Girls; we were old ladies. We didn’t like to go out. Even though [Dix] was the life of the party when she was there, but most of the time we enjoyed being home, on the phone,” Hebron said.

Hebron told 11Alive that losing Dix struck with particular force because she was her “everyday person” — someone she spoke to constantly, at work and after.

Family members described Dix as the youngest of four siblings, adventurous by nature and deeply devoted to her nieces and nephews. Beyond her warmth and spirit, Dix had recently been recognized professionally — she had been named Student of the Year 2025 at Georgia Piedmont Technical College for her outstanding participation in the cosmetology program.

Friends flooded social media with tributes. Robert Shazaam Willis, who said he had known Dix since she was about 16, wrote on Facebook that she was one of the most genuine, caring, and humble people he had ever met. “I can’t believe one of my best friends is gone. I’m in shock. I spoke to her just two days ago,” he wrote. “The light of this world is much dimmer without her.”

An autopsy is expected to formally determine Dix’s cause of death. Her family is still waiting for those results. A vigil has been scheduled for Saturday, April 5, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 545 Washington Avenue in Marietta.

Transporting Dix’s remains from Puerto Rico to Georgia has created an additional financial burden for a family already overwhelmed by grief. Family members launched a GoFundMe campaign to offset repatriation and funeral costs. As of Thursday morning, it had raised more than $6,400.

“This loss has been devastating, and we are now faced with the challenge of bringing her home and arranging a proper farewell. The costs of transportation to the state and funeral services are more than we can manage alone, so we are humbly asking for help from our community,” the campaign reads.

The approximate location of Toro Verde Adventure Park on Road 155 in Orocovis, Puerto Rico.

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