The heartbroken family of a Georgia woman says she died after suffering a head injury while zip-lining in the Caribbean.
Tamirah Dix, a 40-year-old from Marietta, 20 miles north of Atlanta, hit her head while zip-lining in Puerto Rico on Saturday, but seemed fine and continued through the rest of her vacation plans for the day. However, after she went to sleep that night, she began having seizures. She later died on the way to the hospital, her family told 11 Alive.
Dix’s family described her death as a “freak accident.”
Her sudden death has crushed those who knew and loved her, including her best friend, Brittani Hebron.
“She’ll lift me up, pick me up. She likes to elevate people,” Hebron said.
The two met in the ninth grade and became so close they considered each other their sister.
“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. You know, chit-chatting, talking c***,” Hebon said.
Hebon added her friend’s death hit extra hard because she was her “everyday person.”
“I’m on the phone with her at work, I’m on the phone with her after work,” she said of her friend.
Dix’s family said she was the youngest of four siblings. They described her as being adventurous and caring, especially to her nieces and nephews, according to the report.
Her family set up a GoFundMe to help bring her body home and pay for the funeral expenses.
“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 fundraiser reads.
The fundraiser had received over $6,400 in donations as of Thursday morning.
Dix’s family says they are still waiting for her autopsy results. In the meantime, they plan to hold a vigil for her on Saturday in Marietta.
