Human error blamed for rock wall fall that killed 12-year-old in North Carolina

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. -- More than a week after a 12-year-old fell to his death from a rock climbing wall, the company who owned the wall is blaming human error.

Matthew Lu was at Altitude Trampoline Park in Gaston County, North Carolina, when he fell between 10-15 feet on June 19. He suffered severe brain injuries and later died at the hospital.

After a week-long investigation, Altitude Trampoline Park said Lu fell because he did not self-clip himself into the belay system.

The company said Lu fell from the "Clip 'N Climb," a rock wall structure that has since been removed from the trampoline park. The company said it met with industry experts, conducted interviews, inspect the equipment, reviewed surveillance footage, and confirmed staff members had provided accurate instructions to Lu before he got on the wall.

Despite not finding itself at any fault, the Altitude Trampoline Park decided to remove the Clip 'N Climb rock wall.

"We would not expect our visitors, nor our team members to partake in this attraction after such a tragedy," Altitude Trampoline Park Executive Vice President Courtney Wilde said. "We felt we owed this young man, his family and park-goers nationwide due diligence to understand exactly what happened, leaving no question unanswered."

According to WSOC there is no state agency in charge of rock wall safety or inspections. Training is done on a per company basis and is created by the rock wall's manufacturer's guidelines.