The death of a worker at a Prince Rupert carnival last summer was likely due to a combination of distraction and poor communication practices, according to a new report from Technical Safety BC.

On Aug. 26, 2025, RCMP officers were called to the site of the carnival shortly after 10:30 p.m. following a report of an injured man. The man was later pronounced dead.

At the time, Technical Safety BC — an independent body that oversees the installation and operation of certain equipment in the province — said the incident involved the popular Zipper ride but provided no further details.

In its report, released this week, the organization said the man was working as an attendant at the ride while another employee — the ride’s operator — was at the controls.

At one point, the ride was paused briefly due to members of the public tapping the operator on the back, causing a distraction.

When the operator went to resume, they changed the ride’s direction, altering the ride path. At this point, the attendant was standing directly in the new path, and he was hit from behind.

After the incident, a magnetic broom — a tool that is used to retrieve items that have fallen into an area only accessible by the attendant — was found on the ground directly in the path of the ride. The report does not specify if the attendant was using the broom when he was hit.

Technical Safety outlined several factors that contributed to the incident.

“There were no defined communication requirements or practices between attendants and operators to confirm the ride was safe to approach before entering the path of the ride,” it said.

“Operators were exposed to distraction and physical interference while the ride was in operation.”

As well, there was no protective barrier between ride operators and the public, and there didn’t appear to be formal training on how to use the broom safely.

Shortly after the incident, Mission-based Shooting Star Amusements, which runs the carnival, said the man who died was not only a co-worker, but also a “dear close friend,” and a “great man.”

With files from The Canadian Press.