John Anderson died while rappelling out of a tree during a trip celebrating his birthday
A businessman celebrating his 65th birthday with an exciting rappelling and zip-lining experience in the rain forest of Costa Rica, died when he plummeted 100 feet to the ground.
John Anderson of Pittsford, New York, rappelled out of a restaurant high up in a a ceiba tree at the Pacuare Lodge but something went horribly wrong, and he fell to the forest floor Saturday.
‘He wasn’t on a rappelling adventure, he was just getting back to the ground from the tree’, his business partner James Ryan Jr., at Ryco Management told the Democrat and Chronicle.
Ryan added, ‘There’s a safety system but for whatever reason it didn’t work.’
Anderson was at one of the establishments at the Pacuare Lodge like the one pictured here, where guests can zip-line in and rappel out of tree top points of interest
Anderson was having dinner with four friends at the popular eco-lodge where guests zip-line onto a platform for dinner and exit the tree top restaurant via rappel.
Anderson was well liked and respected within his business community.
‘John was really well respected,’ Ryan said to the Democrat and Chronicle.
‘In many ways, he was private and not a person that everybody knew in that sense as a business leader. But he was an incredibly reliable partner and trustworthy. Just a very honorable person, especially in his business relationships.’
Anderson was working with Ryco Management, a property management company, and before that he was CEO of shopping mall operator Wilmorite.
Originally from the New York and Long Island area, Anderson went to college at Brockport where he studied teaching and earned his Masters in Business Administration from the University of Rochester.
The restaurant is set up to zip line in (pictured from Pacuare Lodge site) and rappel out
Anderson was having dinner with four friends when the tragic accident happened
After working in banking in New York, he moved to Rochester and handled the financing and acquisition of retail, office, residential and hotel properties.
He was ‘also an adjunct professor at the University of Rochester teaching a graduate-level course in real estate finance and development,’ read Ryco’s company site.
Costa Rican authorities are investigating the incident.
Anderson leaves behind four children Ryan said Anderson was devoted to his children: Casey, Wes, Peter and Michael.
He is also survived by a sister, two brothers, and nieces and nephews.