Woman Dies After Riding Epcot's 'Mission: Space'
POSTED: Wednesday, April 12, 2006
UPDATED: 7:45 am EDT April 13,
2006
 Beginning this summer, Epcot guests will have two options when it comes to the ride; they can either go on the current attraction or a new version which provides a milder experience, according to the report. |
A 49-year-old woman died Wednesday, a day after becoming ill after riding "Mission: Space" at Epcot, a ride so intense that it has motion sickness bags and several riders have been treated for chest pain.
SLIDESHOW: What Riders See
The woman became ill after riding the rocketship ride Tuesday afternoon and was transported to Celebration Hospital, where her condition worsened and she died Wednesday, Walt Disney World spokeswoman Kim Prunty said in a statement. The woman's identity and hometown were not immediately released, and Prunty said no additional information would be released Wednesday night. A spokeswoman for the hospital said she had no information about the woman available.
The state Bureau of Fair Rides Inspection has been notified and will monitor an inspection of the ride, Disney officials said. "We have closed the attraction to reconfirm proper operation of the ride," Prunty said. Some tourists told Local 6 News that the ride was intense but seemed to be working properly Tuesday night. "It made you feel very heavy and pushed down," rider Debbie Cook said. "They are very safety conscious. Constantly while you are waiting to go on it, they kept saying over and over again, if you want to leave, leave now." One warning sign posted in 2004 in front of the ride read: "For safety you should be in good health, and free from high blood pressure, heart, back or neck problems, motion sickness or other conditions that can be aggravated by this adventure." The $100 million Epcot space ride, one of Disney World's most popular, was closed in June after the death of a 4-year-old Pennsylvania boy but reopened after company engineers concluded it was operating normally. Daudi Bamuwamye Sellersville, Pa., did not meet the ride's minimum 44-inch height limit, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. An autopsy concluded that the boy succumbed to an irregular heartbeat linked to natural causes. People with the condition -- idiopathic myocardial hypertrophy with fibroelastosis of the left ventricle -- are at risk for sudden death throughout their lives, especially in physically or emotionally stressful situations, medical examiner Dr. Jan Garavaglia wrote. Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
Copyright 2006 by Internet Broadcasting Systems and Local6.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
SLIDESHOW: What Riders See The woman became ill after riding the rocketship ride Tuesday afternoon and was transported to Celebration Hospital, where her condition worsened and she died Wednesday, Walt Disney World spokeswoman Kim Prunty said in a statement. The woman's identity and hometown were not immediately released, and Prunty said no additional information would be released Wednesday night. A spokeswoman for the hospital said she had no information about the woman available.
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Previous Stories:
- July 12, 2005: 4-Year-Old Dies After Riding Disney's Mission: Space
- December 16, 2003: Disney Puts 'Motion Sickness' Bags On Mission: Space Ride
- July 2, 2003: Disney's Epcot Hopes for Boost With 'Mission: Space' Attraction
- June 12, 2003: Home Video Shows New Disney Space Ride
- February 17, 2003: Photos Of Disney's New Space Ride Posted Online
Copyright 2006 by Internet Broadcasting Systems and Local6.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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