Boy dies on Rock and Roller Coaster

[felinefan]

I thought I heard that the boy had been to the doctor and gotten a clean bill of health before he and his family went to the park. But I've heard of similar things happening. There was a woman who died on Montezooma's Revenge at Knott's due to an undiagnosed brain aneurysm. Not many people get a thorough health scan before going to an amusement park. To pick up a heart defect, it would require an ECG or PET scan; how many people think to spend the big bucks on those when they're going to go to a theme park? Nobody expects a 12 year old boy to have a serious heart problem, so they think listening to the heart with a stethoscope is enough. And his father was doing CPR on him while waiting for paramedics to arrive. For all we know, he could've been dead already. I honestly think that in this day when we're hearing of all kinds of health issues that our parents and grandparents never heard of, if in doubt, check out your health thoroughly before going. If you aren't sure you can stand the forces on the ride, don't go on it. I feel very sorry for the family because here they went to spend a pleasant, fun day at the park, and they end up planning a funeral. And the ride operators on RnRC sure didn't need to have their day wrecked like that. The worst injury I ever had on a ride I operated was a woman broke her arm on Charlie Brown Speedway; she had two uncontrollable grandsons with her, the older wanted to ride by himself, the younger one wanted to ride with his brother, but the grandmother needed to ride with him. The little one jumps out of the car -- I was still checking restraints--runs over to his brother's car, and the grandmother steps over the wrong side to get him. Before I could warn her, she tripped over the metal slats on the driver's side, fell on the track, and it broke her arm. I had to call my shift leader and help them out. I really felt bad that their day--Mother's Day--had this kind of ending. :(

[psychomaj]

[quote="felinefan"]...To pick up a heart defect, it would require an ECG or PET scan]
Depending on the doctor expensive test may not be required. A good experenced doctor can often use a stethoscope to pick up on defects that a younger doctor would use a ecg or pet scan to pick up on. Younger doctors tend to rely on expensive test than stethoscope skill that can take decades to hone. Not always the case but often. Just a thought next time you insurance wants to go to a resident practice instead of an experenced doctor.

[WLStephanie]

I'm gonna post my annoyance with WDW on this one. FYI, I am a cast member and I love the mouse. Pretty much a 100% company gal.

Whether the CM knew where the nearest AED was or not is completely irrelevant. CMs aren't supposed to perform CPR unless they are lifeguards or part of RCID. Disney is afraid of lawsuits if CPR is performed improperly. When a handful of us chimed in that we were actually retired or even currently licensed healthcare professionals, we were told that we could produce our current CPR card to our supervisor and in an extreme emergency when RCID is delayed, we might be allowed to begin CPR.
I understand that RCID is fast, but WDW should be CPR certing every cast member. Period. They already have licensed CPR instructors on site. They are making me take some class entitled "Big Load, Big Toe" to save my back, so why not make me take a class to save a life. I'm not saying that having the coaster CMs know CPR or how to operate an AED would have helped, because there are, frankly, only a few conditions that an AED can correct. I just don't think that knowledge is a bad thing and I think that anyone who tried to sue Disney over improperly performed CPR (Seriously, unless you break the xiphoid process or break a rib so bad that it punctures a lung.... bad CPR is still better than no CPR) would take a media blood bath.
My two cents. Of course, I might get asked to turn in my ears tomorrow, now.....

[sandravb79]

About the getting a health check before going to an amusement park: it's BS. really.

I mean: two years ago, I got a thrombosis, not at Disney, because, after hundreds of tests (expensive tests) it turned out that I have something genetically wrong with my blood. That in combination with some other factors (birth control/ hormones, not enough space for my feet in the car, standing in the heat) caused the thrombosis.
I could as well have gotten it a couple of months earlier or later, while I was at Disney, and have dropped down on the ground, death (apparantly, according to the doctor, that is something that could have happened). Does this mean that everyone has to undergo all these expensive tests? To make sure that if they have to wait a long time in the heat in line for a ride, they don't get a thrombosis and fall dead on the ground.
yes, you are supposed to know about your health, but you can't always know. It's a shame that people who know they are pregnant, have heart conditions etc still go on rollercoasters, but you can't blame the others that didn't know.

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.

What does agriculture have to do with theme parks??

[hobie16]

What does agriculture have to do with theme parks??

Must be the crops of money they raise.

[Zazu]

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.

What does agriculture have to do with theme parks??

This is actually a most excellent question, and one for which I (naturally) have a most excellent answer!

The agency that inspects rides is called the "Fair Inspection Board" because it was the duty of their teams to inspect all facilities at county fairs and travelling carnivals. While some officers inspected public restrooms, some food service locations, some conditions for the animals, and some were gaming board officers observing the betting at racetracks, there was also a team that inspected the travelling carnival rides that showed up.

When the recent safety brouhaha erupted, this was the only agency the state had with even the slightest experience at inspecting "mechanical amusement apparatus" and were thus a logical choice to inspect such apparatus when in fixed locations as well.

So now you know... the *rest* of the story....

[leftcoaster]

I think every guest should have an autopsy performed and keep the results in order to present them, when they enter an amusement park.

[EpcotGolfer]

I think every guest should have an autopsy performed and keep the results in order to present them, when they enter an amusement park.

so you want a theme park filled with zombie-guests?

ps - an autopsy is performed after someone dies...

[Kwahati]

Whether the CM knew where the nearest AED was or not is completely irrelevant. CMs aren't supposed to perform CPR unless they are lifeguards or part of RCID. Disney is afraid of lawsuits if CPR is performed improperly. When a handful of us chimed in that we were actually retired or even currently licensed healthcare professionals, we were told that we could produce our current CPR card to our supervisor and in an extreme emergency when RCID is delayed, we might be allowed to begin CPR.
I understand that RCID is fast, but WDW should be CPR certing every cast member. Period......

I quite agree. I'm not currently a CM or even a Florida resident yet, but I'm certain that in many states, it's illegal to keep someone who can help from helping. As I recall it ties in with the "duty to act" and "good samaritan" laws which vary state to state, but come on: if a kid's not breathing and the rollercoaster CM happens to also be a lifeguard (or whatever..this is just hypothetical--and I'm not trying to imply that CPR, an AED or even George Clooney himself could've helped the kid on RnR, but with old and fat people having heart-attacks every day, it could help someone!) if the CM says "My name is X, I'm a Certified Y and I'm going to help with Z and/or can I provide assistance?" Who's going to try to stop them? Usually everyone who's untrained panics anyway...or is it different at Disney? Do the managers not help but also stay calm enough to tell all the CMs "Keep away so we don't risk a lawsuit" (and, at the scene of an incident with many bystanders, how do you say that and not get bitch-slapped by somebody?) I agree that if Disney has the resources, they should use them: maybe not even train everyone in low level first aid/CPR/AED, but at least offer the classes free to all CM's. Maybe give a pin away to people who attend. You know, the hotel I work at gets a break on insurance for having myself and anoter employee with current CPR cert. (yup, for the whole hotel we only gotta have 2...and not even one on duty, necessarily). I don't know how Disney can't manage to negotiate something like that too.

[LittleDollClaudia]

Hey, you have zombie guests and you're not sharing? Bad Polar. You leave me no choice but to send my army after you.
:bouncemic :bouncemic :bouncemic