COMING SOON:

COMING SOON:
Watch Trailers To 'New Moon,' More

°

Homepage / Orlando News
Text Size

Girl Remains Critical After Riding Disney's 'Tower Of Terror'

Teen's Heart Stops After Disney Ride

POSTED: Tuesday, July 12, 2005
UPDATED: 6:44 am EDT July 13, 2005

A 16-year-old British girl remained in critical condition Wednesday after riding the "Twilight Zone Tower Of Terror" ride at Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World, according to Local 6 News.

Officials said Leanne Deacon, of Kibworth, Leicestershire, exited the ride Tuesday at about 9:50 a.m. and complained that she was not feeling well, Local 6 News reported.


IMAGES: See Ride Images
VIDEO: Girl Critical After 'Tower Of Terror' Ride

She sat down with her mother in the theme park but her condition continued to worsen.

"Deacon felt strange but told her mother she'd quickly recover after exiting Disney World-MGM Studios' "The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror," which depicts a haunted elevator ride, said Jim Solomons, an Orange County Sheriff's Office spokesman.

However, Solomons said the girl's condition deteriorated so rapidly that her heart stopped beating and she had to be resuscitated by emergency workers.

Disney medics came out and treated her and she was transported to Celebration Hospital where she was unresponsive, Local 6 News learned.

Disney said in a written statement that the ride was closed until more information was available.

"Our concern is for the family and we are working with them to provide whatever assistance they need," the statement said. Disney officials declined further comment.

"Twilight Zone Tower Of Terror" ride at Disney-MGM Studios

Orange County Sheriff's Office will be investigating.

Two people have died at Disney World this year. A 4-year-old Pennsylvania boy, Daudi Bamuwamye, died June 13 after riding Epcot's "Mission: Space" and a 77-year-old Minnesota woman, Gloria Land, died in February after riding the Magic Kingdom's "Pirates of the Caribbean."

A medical examiner's report said Land who was in poor health from diabetes and several ministrokes and her death "was not unexpected." The cause of the boy's death remains under investigation.

Florida's major theme parks are not directly regulated by the state, and instead have their own inspectors.

On the ride, guests are seated aboard a freight elevator that glides through hotel passageways.

The elevator enters a pitch-black shaft and launches guests skyward unexpectedly. The vehicle then drops 13 stories.

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.

Sponsored Links

Links We Like
Sponsored Content
Don’t believe everything people tell you about home improvement. Check out the top 4 myths and stop throwing away your money. More

If you have aspirations of becoming a millionaire, check out these five habits that may be worth emulating. More

Eating breakfast is good for you, but eating a healthy breakfast is even better. Get the scoop on which breakfast foods are the most nutritious. More

You’ve heard of certain foods that can help you prevent cancer and even halt the spread of the disease. Find out if these anti-cancer foods really work. More

Most Popular