ORLANDO, Fla. -- A 4-year-old boy died after passing out while aboard Walt Disney World's "Mission: Space" attraction -- an Epcot ride that has caused previous concerns because of its intensity.

Paramedics were called to the attraction at about 3:30 p.m. Monday after Daudi Bamuwamye, of Sellersville, Pa., lost consciousness on the ride.

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The Orange County Sheriff's Office said his mother, Agnes, who was on the ride with Daudi and his sister, carried him off the ride and employees helped her place him on a bench.

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Paramedics and a Disney worker tried to revive him, but he died about 5 p.m. at Celebration Hospital.

The sheriff's office said the boy did meet the ride's minimum 44-inch height limit.

The boy's family had an unlisted telephone number in Pennsylvania. A cause of death could not be immediately determined and an autopsy was expected Tuesday.

During the ride, the boy's mother noticed that Daudi's body was rigid and that his legs were stretched straight out. She told detectives that she thought the ride was frightening him so she took his hand to reassure him.

"When the ride ended, the victim was limp and unresponsive in his seat," according to a sheriff's office report.

Disney officials in a statement said that they are providing support to the family and "are doing everything we can to help them during this difficult time." The ride was closed after the death but reopened Tuesday after Disney World engineers determined that the ride was operating normally.

"The safety of our guests and cast remains our top priority," the statement said.

Since the ride opened in 2003, seven people have been taken to the hospital for chest pains, fainting or nausea after riding Mission: Space, a $100 million attraction that is one of Disney World's most popular.

That is the most hospital visits for a single ride since Florida's major theme parks agreed in 2001 to report any serious injuries to the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The most recent case was last summer when a 40-year-old woman was taken to a hospital after fainting.

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.

Although the state reports showed no major injuries or illnesses from Mission: Space before Monday, the hospital visits came up last year in discussions with state officials who consult annually with park officials about safety.

The centrifuge ride recreates the experience of a rocket blasting off. A clock counts down and the engines roar to life with a blast of noise and smoke and flame. Lift off G-forces -- just over twice the normal force of gravity -- cause short-lived facial distortions.

Warning signs advise pregnant women not to go on the ride, caution about motion sickness and ban children shorter than 44 inches. An audio recording and a video also warn riders of the risks.

In 2003, Disney began placing motion sickness bags in the ride. The state's major parks are not directly regulated by the Department of Agriculture; Florida law exempts large, permanent amusement parks that have their own safety inspectors from state oversight. But the parks agreed to share safety information in 2001.

Other states, such as California, home to Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure, are regulated by the state.

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