Guests Injured By Falling Light On Expedition Everest

[Timekeeper]

Guests were reportedly injured recently on Expedition Everest when the portable utility light positioned near the exit of the attraction (the holding area of the track just before entering the unload platform) tipped over and fell on a train full of guests waiting to enter the station. The cause was apparently a gust of wind. There's a photo taken by a guest near the rear of the train of the incident, which is floating around, but I'm sure someone else here can track it down.

 

[wdwfan22]

The news reported that the attraction was closed briefly this afternoon but reopened later in the day after an inspection. Wind was the cause for the light pole to fall. No word yet on if anyone was injured.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Between this, and the fallen branches of the Tree of Life, and the rocks that fell on a train in DLP' Thunder, and the subsequent instalment of netting around the tree and the removal of the rocks in the Thunder mine, it is beginning to dawn on me that Disney will never repair the Yeti - no more show props above guests.

 

[Timekeeper]

Or maybe Disney will learn that it doesn't always pay off to do things 'on the cheap.' That "temporary" light has been in place for a very long time. It is also aesthetically unattractive. Installing a permanent lighting fixture that would have both been safer AND better blend in with the themed environment would have ... made sense. But I suppose that would have required a couple extra hours of work :brick:

 

[disney fan 13]

This takes Burn't out lightbulbs to a whole new level...

 

[Captain Chaos]

I hope everyone is ok... Now that I got that out of the way...

Wind cause the light to fall down?? I heard the yeti is ed he doesn't work right and has taken to literally destroying everything around him to finally get their attention... Or, Meg Crofton was speaking again (the source of the wind)...

 

[WamsleyH]

The news reported that the attraction was closed briefly this afternoon

 

[RalphinSC]

It must of been from that storm that was blowing in at a little after three yesterday afternoon. We just made the bus ahead of the microburst of wind. It wasn't super strong but it was quite a wind gust. I imagine this is what probably did the job.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Honestly, I went into this thread for a bit of irony hoping that the light that fell was the strobe light on the Yeti.

 

[wdwmagic]

Guests were reportedly injured recently on Expedition Everest when the portable utility light positioned near the exit of the attraction (the holding area of the track just before entering the unload platform) tipped over and fell on a train full of guests waiting to enter the station. The cause was apparently a gust of wind. There's a photo taken by a guest near the rear of the train of the incident, which is floating around, but I'm sure someone else here can track it down.

What was a portable utility light doing there?

 

[JCtheparrothead]

What was a portable utility light doing there?

Probably a new Yeti disco mode light.

 

[MagicMike]

the subsequent instalment of netting around the tree

I can't believe more people aren't upset by this. Safety/legal concerns are understandable, but lets hope these are temporary structures. Animal Kingdom thrives on immersing guests in earth's natural beauty. The Tree Of Life is one of Disney's greatest flagship structures, to have its view obstructed undermines the park message and cheapens the experience.

 

[Jakester]

Lets be glad it isn't *Yeti Falls on guests, injurying them*
I now hope that he is stable, otherwise :lookaroun

 

[EpcoTim]

This is perfectly acceptable.

 

[IanDLBZF]

Guests were reportedly injured recently on Expedition Everest when the portable utility light positioned near the exit of the attraction (the holding area of the track just before entering the unload platform) tipped over and fell on a train full of guests waiting to enter the station.

I hope they are okay and that nothing serious ends up happening.

 

[Rasvar]

This is what happens when you let a temporary fix become a permanent one. That portable light had been there way too long.

 

[devoy1701]

Lets be glad it isn't *Yeti Falls on guests, injurying them*
I now hope that he is stable, otherwise :lookaroun

That would be the ultimate middle finger from the Yeti...

 

[CTXRover]

Does anyone know for sure if any guests were even on the ride when this happened? The only article I found was on Orlando Sentinel that said a light pole fell during strong rainstorm driven winds. I'm surprised the ride would still be running in those conditions, but it's possible if the storm approached quickly. All the article said is the pole hit a train car and that noone was taken to the hospital, but the spokesperson could not say if any guests were in the car at the time.

Also, out of ignorance sakes, what utility light are we even talking about?

 

[WDWBryan]

All the hubub that the yeti structure could break if he's run and they leave a temporary light up that gets knocked over in wind

 

[jumblue]

Expect netting to be installed over the entire length of track and queue...