Boy dies after riding Rock 'n' Roller Coaster

[bferrara16]

The report said there had been 7 deaths since Christmas 2004, I can only
think of the 2 Mission Space ones, what were the other 4.

I may be fuzzy on the details, but I believe one of them was when a woman drowned at Coronado in May. Are there others or is the Sentinel making up facts again?

(PS- how does a ride that has a maximum speed of 57mph go from 0 to 60 in 2.8 seconds?)

 

[Nicole]

WESH.com is reporting that the family was from Fort Campbell, KY. Fort Campbell is an active military base, which means this is a military kid.

Please stop assuming that the family will sue Disney or that they will behave inappropriately. The majority of the soldiers at Campbell have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan and know that life is short and it's better to die doing something you love than to live your life hating what you do.

The "here we go again" comments earlier in this thread IMO apply to posters on this board as much as or more so than they do to any media outlets.

 

[RonAnnArbor]

As to the media - the other parks in the country also have the same statistical death probablities - and they just don't get covered as much by the media. Over the years, the Orlando Sentinel has become a pariah just waiting for something to happen at WDW. All of the current news releases are traceable back to the Sentinel. Disney only released a press release AFTER the Sentinel already broke the news. THey are now in the habit of hovering over the police dispatch alerts (public domain) and just salivating when something happens at WDW. I don't expect this relationship between the media and WDW to improve anytime soon, given the increasing stressors between the city of Orlando and Disney corporate.

 

[sbkline]

This same thread is running in the other amusement park forums this afternoon - and I think everyone is in agreement on the fact that there are pre-exisiting conditions in children as well as adults, and the sheer number of visitors in each WDW park increase the statistical probablity that there might be an incident there.

And a handful of deaths per year, as tragic as they are, are statistically miniscule in light of the millions of people who visit each year.

 

[wdwishes2005]

I may be fuzzy on the details, but I believe one of them was when a woman drowned at Coronado in May. Are there others or is the Sentinel making up facts again?

(PS- how does a ride that has a maximum speed of 57mph go from 0 to 60 in 2.8 seconds?)

there was the guy who threw himself off a contemporary balcony.....

 

[SpenceMan01]

First and foremost, my condolences to the family. It is always a tragedy when a death occurs, even moreso when a child dies. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.

The report said there had been 7 deaths since Christmas 2004, I can only
think of the 2 Mission Space ones, what were the other 4.

(I think you mean other 5)

2 Mission Space
1 ToT (cardiac arrest, did the girl survive?)
1 Pirates
1 RnRC

Maybe they're including the BTMRR death at Disneyland? I still can't remember all of them.

Also, I don't fault the news companies for running the story, but I can fault them for not getting the facts straight. I HATE when they compare roller coaster G's to shuttle launches. Sustained G's affect the body a LOT more than the G force spikes found in coasters.

 

[MicBat]

I found these quotes from "park guests" at the Sentinal website to be quite ammusing...

Comments from Disney-MGM visitors

A Sentinel Staff report
Posted June 29, 2006, 5:02 PM EDT

ORLANDO -- Here are comments from some people at Disney-MGM Studios this afternoon. They were interviewed after a 12-year-old boy died after riding on the park's Rock 'n' Roller Coaster.
Sandra Duncan, of Allen, Texas, who was visiting with her daughter, 42, grandson, 13, a friend of her grandson, 15: "Of course it worries me, I don't want my kids on it?It's just so sad because the kid's life was cut short."
Larry Wagner, retired schoolteacher from Hammond, La.: "It seems like things have changed a lot in respect to safety. I'll tell you I'm not surprised that this has happened?We come here every year, we've been coming here for the last 20 years?I think the lack of safety is an issue these days, the workers nowadays let people do what they please."
Eugena Pruitt, 64, of Virginia: "They should inspect and find out what is causing the deaths. Three in one year?that's more than average."
Rene Boylan, 41, of Easton, Pa., whose 7-year-old was on the roller coaster the other day and came back wanting to go on it today: "This breaks my heart. It really worries me now about roller coasters. I might start rethinking some of these rides for him. The roller coasters seem to be going to extremes now. I might be more cautious as to what I let him go on?(Disney) might have to rethink the height requirements so you don't have so many young kids going on them."
Chris Swift, 30, of Cheshire, England: "I've been on the ride, it's a calm coaster compared to most?I would let my kids go on the ride if they wanted to."

 

[wdwishes2005]

the lady with diabetes on PoTC

 

[Timmay]

Sure they do.... see below (taken from the WDW Statement today)

"We have notified Orange County law enforcement. The state Bureau of Fair Rides Inspection has also been notified and will observe the inspection and review of the attraction."

By "all the time", all I meant more than 5 deaths in 2-1/2 years.....

Somehow I get the feeling that those agencies just might show up on their own if Disney didn't "report" it. Disney notifies agencies of medical emergencies on property...you make it sound as if Disney "reports" deaths under special circumstances, when I am sure they, like everyone else, notifies certain agencies of incidents all the time.

 

[will_hsv]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/06/29/coaster.death/index.html
----------- Updated From CNN -------------------
The last death at a Disney resort was April 12, when 49-year-old Hiltrud Bluemel of Germany suffered a stroke linked to her high blood pressure after riding "Mission: Space" at the Epcot Center in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

Five months before that, a 4-year-old boy died from an unknown heart condition on the same ride.
---------------------------------------------------

They are getting closer to the truth, but still not quite there yet. Maybe someone should send them the MSNBC article.

I just listened to the 911 call, 911 seemed to have great response time getting the paramedics to him, I just wish as I am sure they do that they could have done something to save him. That has to be a tough situation.

 

[degunter]

Actual Number od Deaths...

The report said there had been 7 deaths since Christmas 2004, I can only
think of the 2 Mission Space ones, what were the other 4.

So we've got:

2 on Mission: Space
1 on Rock'n Roller Coaster
1 at Coronado (drowning)
1 at the Contemporary (suicide)
1 at Typhoon Lagoon (heart problem)
1 on Pirates

I know of some from way back but was just curious as to the last few years....

Check out this website.... details about Reedy Creek:

http://www.mcjackie.com/theCreek.html

 

[Dagger]

My prayers are with the boy's family.

 

[wdwishes2005]

I found these quotes from "park guests" at the Sentinal website to be quite ammusing...

Comments from Disney-MGM visitors

A Sentinel Staff report
Posted June 29, 2006, 5:02 PM EDT

ORLANDO -- Here are comments from some people at Disney-MGM Studios this afternoon. They were interviewed after a 12-year-old boy died after riding on the park's Rock 'n' Roller Coaster.

Sandra Duncan, of Allen, Texas, who was visiting with her daughter, 42, grandson, 13, a friend of her grandson, 15: "Of course it worries me, I don't want my kids on it?It's just so sad because the kid's life was cut short." What an idiot. I assume she won't let her kids into a car, on an airplane, walk, breathe ( because 100% of people who breathe die).


Larry Wagner, retired schoolteacher from Hammond, La.: "It seems like things have changed a lot in respect to safety. I'll tell you I'm not surprised that this has happened We come here every year, we've been coming here for the last 20 years I think the lack of safety is an issue these days, the workers nowadays let people do what they please." Where the heck did that come from. THe CM's let people do what they please? Hardly. The idiocy of some people...
Eugena Pruitt, 64, of Virginia: "They should inspect and find out what is causing the deaths. Three in one year?that's more than average." So they should give physicals to everyone? That's what is causing the deaths....
Rene Boylan, 41, of Easton, Pa., whose 7-year-old was on the roller coaster the other day and came back wanting to go on it today: "This breaks my heart. It really worries me now about roller coasters. I might start rethinking some of these rides for him. The roller coasters seem to be going to extremes now. I might be more cautious as to what I let him go on?(Disney) might have to rethink the height requirements so you don't have so many young kids going on them."RnRC extreme? Hardly. She needs to look at cedar point and then tell me RnRC is extreme. What about midgets?
Chris Swift, 30, of Cheshire, England: "I've been on the ride, it's a calm coaster compared to most?I would let my kids go on the ride if they wanted to."finally someone with half a brain.

My replies in bold.

 

[Videoteck]

Not sure what you mean by "all the time"??

Disney doesn't do the "reporting" at all.

Hes saying that dying happens everyday. But when someone dies at Disney its much more important than any other death. or at least thats what it seems. but all deaths are bad.

 

[Videoteck]

So we've got:

2 on Mission: Space
1 on Rock'n Roller Coaster
1 at Coronado (drowning)
1 at the Contemporary (suicide)
1 at Typhoon Lagoon (heart problem)
1 on Pirates

I know of some from way back but was just curious as to the last few years....

Check out this website.... details about Reedy Creek:

http://www.mcjackie.com/theCreek.html

Thats really not much, considering the exteme amount of people that enter the parks everyday.

 

[Woody13]

Way to go Slantinal. 5 inversions eh? Try three. Can we PLEASE get a real paper in town? Possibly with an editor that does something other than eat donuts at his desk all day?

Mmmmm donuts. :wave:

 

[MickeyTigg]

You know guys....we have very little information here right now...from Disney or the family.

Before we start blaming people and calling people names...how about we wait for the facts?

 

[Mr Bill]

I found these quotes from "park guests" at the Sentinal website to be quite ammusing...

Comments from Disney-MGM visitors

A Sentinel Staff report
Posted June 29, 2006, 5:02 PM EDT

ORLANDO -- Here are comments from some people at Disney-MGM Studios this afternoon. They were interviewed after a 12-year-old boy died after riding on the park's Rock 'n' Roller Coaster.
Sandra Duncan, of Allen, Texas, who was visiting with her daughter, 42, grandson, 13, a friend of her grandson, 15: "Of course it worries me, I don't want my kids on it?It's just so sad because the kid's life was cut short."
Larry Wagner, retired schoolteacher from Hammond, La.: "It seems like things have changed a lot in respect to safety. I'll tell you I'm not surprised that this has happened?We come here every year, we've been coming here for the last 20 years?I think the lack of safety is an issue these days, the workers nowadays let people do what they please."
Eugena Pruitt, 64, of Virginia: "They should inspect and find out what is causing the deaths. Three in one year?that's more than average."
Rene Boylan, 41, of Easton, Pa., whose 7-year-old was on the roller coaster the other day and came back wanting to go on it today: "This breaks my heart. It really worries me now about roller coasters. I might start rethinking some of these rides for him. The roller coasters seem to be going to extremes now. I might be more cautious as to what I let him go on?(Disney) might have to rethink the height requirements so you don't have so many young kids going on them."
Chris Swift, 30, of Cheshire, England: "I've been on the ride, it's a calm coaster compared to most?I would let my kids go on the ride if they wanted to."

I wonder how many people the Sentinel interviewed before deciding to publish these quotes...

 

[will_hsv]

You know guys....we have very little information here right now...from Disney or the family.

Before we start blaming people and calling people names...how about we wait for the facts?

I could not agree with you more. I just wish that the news organizations would do the same thing.

 

[Since1976]

Allow me to be the voice of reason on this matter and scream: EVERYBODY PANIC!!