Boy dies on Rock and Roller Coaster

[Notatourist]

Just saw this on the news. WOW.

Indy, I don't know if you're still there, but having been through all of this...sympathies.

Here's the news report from CNN

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- A 12-year-old boy died on a roller coaster at Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

Disney could not be reached for comment, and few details were available.

The boy was unresponsive in his seat at the end of the Rock 'N' Roller coaster ride, said Terry McElroy of the Florida Department of Agriculture, which regulates the industry.

The boy was given CPR and taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Authorities don't know at this time if he was riding by himself or with family members.

The incident occurred at 11:30 a.m. Disney reported the accident to Florida police at 1 p.m.

Disney shut down the ride and an inspector was on site to observe the Disney investigation. The Orange County Sheriff's Office is conducting an investigation as well.

Disney boasts of the ride on its Web site, "Zoom from 0-60 mph with the force of a supersonic F-14, take in high-speed loops and turns synchronized to a specially recorded Aerosmith soundtrack and zip through Tinseltown in the biggest, loudest limo you've ever seen."

One month ago, another child died on the Disney ride "Mission Space" at the Epcot Center.

[Zazu]

Tonight's evening news in Orlando said that the boy's eyes were open, but he was limp and unresponsive. His father took him out of the ride vehicle and began CPR. Reedy Creek was on site in under 4 minutes (as usual), and he was pronounced dead fairly quickly.

Recordings of the CM's 911 call sounded fairly typical -- the CM had no idea where the nearest AED was.

Why is it that WDW spent so much to install AEDs, but never trained cast on their locations or offered training in their use?

Not that it would likely have helped in this case.

[dazyhill]

What's an AED?

[justafigment84]

What's an AED?

Automated Electronic Defibrillator

Pretty much it allows anyone who is trained how to use it to shock someone's heart back into beating. Well that is the goal anyways.

[darph nader]

This sucks. I saw it on CNN Headline News just before I went to work. I feel bad for 'everyone' involved. :(

[leftcoaster]

Automated Electronic Defibrillator

Pretty much it allows anyone who is trained how to use it to shock someone's heart back into beating. Well that is the goal anyways.

I thought there were instructions inside that would allow anyone to be able to use it. I thought that was the whole idea of the device.

I mean, technically, yes, you should be trained to use it, but I thought it was still pretty easy to use one.

Please correct, if I am incorrect.

[Zazu]

Update from TV news:

The boy had a pretty obvious congenital heart defect. That's what the coroner is blaming for his death. The attraction may have been a trigger, but any accelleration, or perhaps just his running down the street, could have done it as well.

Despite the news media reciting all of the deaths on or near attractions for the past seven years, each one was the proximate result of either an unknown physical defect or a known physical defect combined with stupidity.

No consolation to the families involved, but it sure makes this CM and stockholder feel better.

[LittleDollClaudia]

Oh now Polar, does that mean if I stretch over the Pirates boat to hug Captain Sparrow and fall out that Disneyland will be at fault? But if I did the same thing at WDW, my family would get a huge settlement and the execs would rush to put straps in all the boats? I will volunteer myself for the experiment. I'm not saying I don't appreciate the fact someone died,
(so no hate mail please) but I'm astonished at the differences at how things are handled at the two major theme parks. :shakes head in disbelief:

[WhirlWindSpin]

Wow. Hmm... anyone know why all those signs say not to go on if you have heart defects? BECAUSE YOU SHOULDN'T. God...

[Kwahati]

I thought there were instructions inside that would allow anyone to be able to use it. I thought that was the whole idea of the device.

I mean, technically, yes, you should be trained to use it, but I thought it was still pretty easy to use one.

Please correct, if I am incorrect.

Actually, Left Coaster, you are exactly correct. On every AED, all you have to do is turn it on (some of them you have to open up and turn on, but...you know, same idea-it will still be exceedingly simple to open) It will immediately start giving you simple directions (usually audio AND written on a little screen) and there's a diagram for where to put the pads. The AED does all the work for you. It can check for heartbeat (in the form of electrical activity) and can also sense, before it shocks a victim, whether everyone is clear (once again via electrical activity). And the pads even have adhesive on them so that, if the machine tells you "Continue CPR" you won't have to worry about replacing the pads for another shock later. The whole idea is that anyone who can follow directions can use it to save a life. Even really low level CPR and first aid classes (from Red Cross or American Heart Assoc. and probably others too) are training people to use these. Getting trained with an AED doesn't qualify you to do the George Clooney crash cart and 80cc's of valium thing, but you can save a life... Maybe cast members should familiarize themselves with an AED in their area. Just taking a look at where the on button is and maybe glancing at the diagram for where the pads go is as good as the "training" you'd recieve from a Red Cross course (at least as far as AED's go). And I'm pretty sure that you'd even be protected under Good Samaritan laws without "training" because the unit will "train" you as you go!

Sorry for the long first post without ever stopping to introduce myself...I just knew the answer to that one! By the way: I'm Joshua...Kwahati's my puppydog and I'm moving to Fl in a couple of months to try to work at WDW...ideally the Magic Shop in DTD. Wish me luck!