Mission: Space tragedy

[applelific]

This was just posted on the local website here in philadelphia where the boy was from....it was the top story on the noon news....You can read more at www.nbc10.com

Statement from Walt Disney World Resort



<TEXT id=txt_posted>POSTED:</TEXT> 12:14 pm EDT June 14, 2005


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June 14, 2005 - 9:30 a.m.

On Monday, June 13, at approximately 3:30 PM, Reedy Creek Emergency Services was called to Mission Space at Epcot to care for a child who was unresponsive. <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

The ride was shut down and the guest was transported to the hospital. Unfortunately, we were later advised that the guest passed away.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office arrived at the scene and conducted an investigation before turning the attraction back over to Walt Disney World.

Engineers and ride system experts with Walt Disney World also conducted a thorough evaluation and inspection and determined that the ride is operating normally

Based on their findings, the attraction opened as scheduled today.

The safety of our Guests and Cast remains our top priority.

On behalf of the Walt Disney World Resort and its 57,000 Cast Members, we are saddened by this highly unusual event.

Our first concern is for the family and we are doing everything we can to help them during this difficult time.

 

[CTXRover]

The first time I rode Mission: Space, I walked away leaning to one side- and that was it. But then again, I love thrill rides- even to the point where my mom would take my toddler self to a nearby theme park so I could get lulled to sleep on various rides (Octopus was the best).

On subsequent trips I became a little more daring for M:S. I leaned forward, looked at my wife... I even drank 6 cups of Beverly before riding. No ill effects outside that initial run.

One thing Disney SHOULD change in M:S is the headrest. Extend it further around your head so you have a less likely desire to look at the people next to you. This alone would prevent many of the problems.

Last time I was on it, I saw a lady puking into a bag. A castmember who handed it to her asked what happened. She wiped her mouth and replied that she wanted to see what her husband thought of the ride. Bad move...

The instructions MUST be emphasized. If you cannot understand them, than you should not be riding. People chatting during the instructions should be personally warned- or not allowed to ride.

M:S is a very precision ride and the rules are a little bit more complex. Few would dare to forget to clasp a seatbelt on a rollercoaster- but the unfamiliar nature of this ride makes certain people throw logic out the window.

I love the ride. My wife tolerates it.

I must admit that I feel guilty at this point arguing in favor of the ride until the cause of death is determined. However, I imagine some type of pre-existing condition, whether it was known to the family or not, will be the cause. I really can't think of a way to make it more clear how serious this ride is. I think many would say the warnings they have now bridge on excessive. Compared to the warnings that were there when the ride started previews to what it has now, beyond signing a waiver, there isn't much more they can do to drive it home.

If it is discovered that the death of the poor boy could have been prevented through additional safety measures, I'm positive they will be implemented. One thing I could see them doing is your suggestion of a different headrest to keep your attention forward. While I hope they don't, one other thing they could do in a revised ride is eliminate the participation aspect. It forces you to look away from the screen for a split second to find the buttons. Another thing they could eliminate are the small screens in between the seats. They have a lot of cool info that shows up during the ride, but requires you to turn your head to see them. I personally don't have any problem turning my head in MS or looking away from the screen. But not all people are like that. My Dad had a very difficult time on MS, but this was before some of the newer warnings. He began to feel a little ill on the ride, and closed his eyes to try and fix it, which we all know only makes it worse on MS. This would work any most other simulators, but not MS. It wasn't long thereafter that they added the warning to keep your eyes focused straight ahead and open at all times.

Do they have videos inside the capsules? Are they able to see when or if someone begins to look bad or passes out? If not, they really should so they can stop the ride and get that person out of there as soon as possible.

 

[hollywoodhotel]

here you go

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8214870/?GT1=6657

 

[Minnietoo]

This is my 1st post here and I hate that is under such a sad one. I feel awful for the family and every one involved it is a horrible tragidy!

I love MS but when I went last yr with my 4 yr old even though she meet the requirements I wouldn't let her ride it because I as a parent thought it was too much for a little kid. That is part of a parents responsibility to detirmine if a ride or anything is too much for their child. Part of me feels the mom should have vetoed the kids from going on the ride but the other part of me feels we as guest assume the ride is safe so if he meet the requirements why shouldn't he have ridden it.

It is just tragic! I can only wish the family well and if it is a preexisting condition they find it out and can make sure other family members don't have the same condidtion.

So sad

 

[wdwmagic]

Do they have videos inside the capsules? Are they able to see when or if someone begins to look bad or passes out? If not, they really should so they can stop the ride and get that person out of there as soon as possible.

No they dont. There is no way to monitor 160 individuals at a time and make an assessment as to their health. It is like a rollercoaster, once it begins thats it (baring an Estop of some kind due to mechnical issues etc).

 

[DisneySaint]

I'm still stuck on how you take a 4 y/o onto M:S.

 

[AndyP]

Maybe this will cause an increased height requirement, or a minimum age, but that can't be monitored.

 

[Aurora_25]

I'm still stuck on how you take a 4 y/o onto M:S.

You and me both- I have a 6 year old who will not be going on that ride in November- I don't even let her ride the Tower of Terror, but that's just me MS isn't something I think small kids should go on, but that's my opinion.

It is trully sad and my heart goes out to the family.

 

[violet_yoshi]

In 2003, Disney began placing motion sickness bags in the ride, which uses a multi-arm centrifuge to simulate twice the normal force of gravity.

Oooh so that's how they do it! I mean, not to take away from the horrible thing that happened to the boy. Yeah though, I mean if it was common knowledge that it was a fancy centrifuge, I doubt many people would go on. You know you see people in cartoons ride those things, and their lips flap back.

 

[violet_yoshi]

Although I suspect this this is a case of an underlying undiagnosed medical problem, an interesting point has been mentioned here. I think we do become de-sensitized to the warnings for rides. However, MS is not really like anything out there, so additionall warnings may do no good. My first and only time on MS is a good case in point. My wife and I rode MS when it first opened. We were so excited to ride, it was going to be the highlight of our trip. However, while I got off feeling slightly dizzy, my wife became very ill. She was nauseous and dizzy for well over an hour afterward, and she has ridden any number of other thrill rides with no ill effects. We never anticipated any problems, based on our history of riding thrill rides. Needless to say, we will never ride MS again. Later that night, while waiting for RoE, we talked with the couple next to us, who had had almost the same reactions. He was fine, but his wife was very ill afterwards. They mentioned that when they exited the ride building, there was a man throwing up in the grass after riding. He was unable to stop, and paramedics had to be called to assist him. PLEASE don't take me as being against MS. I love the concept, and fully support the ride. I just know that my wife and I will never get on it again because of our personal experiences.

You know, this interesting. Since basically the ride a centrifuge, which spacemen have to go through some training to even get on. I don't really think it is that safe. Yes the idea of going into space is cool and all of that, but as this ride was created with NASA. Don't you think either Disney or NASA would say "Wait a minute, this looks really dangerous..why don't we just do the ol' rumbling seat thing instead"

 

[violet_yoshi]

Yeah, the old hag is stil around. :lol: In the late 90's she turned to teens, but now she's back to the kids. She even has a musical video & DVD series aimed for toddlers.
I suppose for US standards, she could be seen as a bit raunchy, but that's standard children show down here. She was the pioneer on the whole leggy blonde in shorts hosting cartoons and competitions for kids on TV, and a ton of others came after that.

They did a parody of her on The Simpsons, when they went to Brazil. Bart turned on the Xuxa show, which was like Sesame Street but with Xuxa dressed like a vegas show girl. They didn't use her actual name of course, cuz that'd be grounds for a law suit. It was funny though cuz Bart's oggling her and Marge is like "What kind of kids' show is that?! Turn it off!"

 

[Gepettotrevor]

This is a very sad thing that happened to the boy.

I think he may have had a pre-existing medical condition or maby one him or his family had no knowledge of. I won't make any judgements untill we get more info.

I do think Mission Space is a little too intense for 4 year olds. Even though i love the ride it is still a bit intense.

 

[awallaceunc]

This is so sad . Such a tragedy... my heart feels very heavy.

Some of the posts that have been made here, I find distressing.

My guess is that the height requirement will be increased, which is probably for the best.

-Aaron

 

[SpongeScott]

A few thoughts....

Although they are from Pennsylvania, by looking at the family's last name, perhaps they don't fully comprehend the warning signs and the seriousness of what they say. I'm not saying they can't read English, but perhaps there is a language barrier here. Then again, they could have fully understood the implications. Not trying to be a racist, just thinking out loud.

Also, people keep touching on the issue of a 4 year old riding M:S. True, a lot of us here would not let our 4 year old ride it, but there are some parents who would think their child could handle it or perhaps the child was insistent about riding and was the kind who got whatever he wanted, so he rode.

Just thoughts.

 

[Snapper Bean]

I don't know why either of you should expect the parent to have better information about the ride and its stresses than Disney, the company that operates its. Disney sets the height requirement. If 4 year old bodies shouldn't be on the ride then Disney should raise the height limit, it shouldn't count on the parent of every 4 year old being more cautious than Disney is telling them they should be.

 

[WDWScottieBoy]

One Other Death This Year

One other death was reported at Disney World this year.

Gloria Land, 77, of St. Paul, Minn., who was in poor health from diabetes and several ministrokes, lost consciousness in February after going on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at the Magic Kingdom. She was pronounced dead at a hospital.

"The death was not unexpected," the medical examiner's report said.

That was taken from the same article that this tragic accident came from. It can happen to young and old. I'm sorry to hear it happened though.

 

[SirNim]

Although they are from Pennsylvania, by looking at the family's last name, perhaps they don't fully comprehend the warning signs and the seriousness of what they say. I'm not saying they can't read English, but perhaps there is a language barrier here. Then again, they could have fully understood the implications. Not trying to be a racist, just thinking out loud.

I thought the same thing. I ran a search for the last name, and it would appear that it is of Ugandan origin. Again, not to imply anything other than the possibility that the warning signs might not have been understood properly.

 

[EchoOfOphelia]

This is such a sad story, regardless of the circumstances, I cannot imagine loosing a child. My heart goes out to the family and friends.

I find it a little presumptious to automatically think that the parents would purposely put their child on this ride when he may have had a pre-existing condition. It may have been something they hadn't discovered yet, and what a horrible way to find out.

I have been thinking a bit about what the appropriate age to go on Mission Space would be. I do not have children, so its a little hard for me to gauge, but it seems like four years old is a little too young, when I compair it to five and six year old relatives. I think six would be the minimum age I would expect to see on the ride. It may simply have been that the parents didn't know what to expect on the ride. I was telling my co-workers about this incident and they were like, "what's Mission Space?" To be honest, I found it a little hard to describe it, so I can imagine that some families may not get the whole picture from advertisements and such.

So sad, again my heart goes out to them.

 

[KingStefan]

I'm very disappointed to see everyone pointing fingers at this mother saying how she lacks common sense and such. This poor family needs support and prayers, and to be blaming them and judging them when they just lost their little boy is cruel.

Would you say that to the mother's face? "You're the one who has no common sense and sent your child on this ride, it's your fault he's dead". Are you forgetting that this is a public forum? That there's a chance that someone who knew that child or even the mother herself could run into this thread?

The mother didn't do anything wrong. Some 4 year olds are thrill seekers. I know mine surely isn't, but when I was 4 I loved anything intense. She's probably sent her son on thrill rides before and he loved them, so she thought he would love this one too. Who knows. I highly doubt she sent him on the ride out of stupidity. The kid met the height requirement, he had every right to ride if he liked that sort of thing. If he had a pre-existing condition that is not the mother's fault, especially if she didnt know about it (which I doubt she knew about it or else the cause of death would be obvious).

My son will be 4 in a couple weeks and I can't even fathom the pain this family is going through. I personally think the height requirement on that ride is too low though. I know I pass out on rides that spin, but I'm able to handle MS because I look straight at the screen. I think a 44 inch kid is too little to be able to have the discipline or understanding to not look away from the screen (not that doing so would kill you, but it could cause you to get sick or pass out).

Yes. I've been steaming at some posts as I read through this thread, and you've captured my thoughts and feelings quite precisely. Well said!

 

[DBV]

Also have to agree with above post. If the kid was asking to go on, and he met the height requirements, and she doesn't live Disney like so many posters here, maybe the mother doesn't exactly know what she is getting her son into. I GUARANTEE you that if she thought her son could DIE on the ride she would have never considered it. I don't think Disney has a warning posted for that!!

I'm some what taken back by the amount of conclusions drawn from the little information we have here. How can so many of you just assume that it was a pre existing condition and that this is nobodies fault?

It's not that this child won't be able to enjoy WDW anymore. This child is dead. For once, put down the Disney is Utopia flag and spend a minute thinking about this loss for the family. For them, this is no longer the Happiest Place on Earth, no matter who is ultimately responsible...

BINGO!!

Who cares if the family sues or if there was a pre-existing condition? Can you imagine taking a 4 year old to WDW on a vacation and he dies on a ride? I can't. I am astounded by the calice of some posters here.