Originally Posted By Darkbeer <a href="http://www.wftv.com/news/8653845/detail.html" target="_blank">http://www.wftv.com/news/86538 45/detail.html</a> >>In a written statement, the Walt Disney World Resort said a 49-year-old woman died Wednesday after riding “Mission: Space†at Epcot. The woman became ill after she got off the ride Tuesday afternoon. She was taken to Celebration Hospital. “We have closed the attraction to reconfirm proper operation of the ride,†the statement read. “The state Bureau of Fair Rides Inspection was notified and will be on site to monitor the inspection and review of the attraction.†The statement expressed condolences to the woman’s family. Walt Disney World has not released the woman’s name or what caused her death. In June 2005, a 4-year-old boy died after riding “Mission: Space.†A autopsy report released the following November showed that Daudi Bamuwayme had an enlarged heart, which put him at risk of sudden death.<<
Originally Posted By trekkeruss I am certain this will end with similar results as the 4-year-old. As for opinions, I foresee for a long thread...
Originally Posted By vbdad55 All one has to do to stop the arguments that I agree are no doubt forthcoming..is look at how many people die flying each year as an example. There are many things we do that 'can' have an effect on how our body runs...pressurization on a plane has an effect on the body, just like riding an amusement park ride, yet that doesn't make flying unsafe.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<I am certain this will end with similar results as the 4-year-old. As for opinions, I foresee for a long thread...I am certain this will end with similar results as the 4-year-old. As for opinions, I foresee for a long thread...>> I don't know. Two deaths in a year. I LOVE Mission Space; it is my favorite Disney attraction. No doubt the medical examiner will find that there is an underlying problem here too. But people can go on the other WDW rides with that same underlying problem and live to tell about it. It not appears that you can't say that about Mission Space. Can perfectly healthy people ride Mission Space? Yes. But many times people with some type of heart defect don't know about it, and therefor cannot make an informed decision about experiencing the attraction. I hate to say this more than you can imagine. But I think it is time for Disney to close the attraction.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 ^^^^^^^^^ just a thought Trippy, would you ground the airlines also , since a higher % of people die flying ( heart attacks / DVT etc.) than riding MS , and really the concerns over doing either are very similar ? I don't particularly care for MS myself...so this is not an apologist statement for the ride or Disney.
Originally Posted By NikkiLOVESMickey The 4 year old who died on M:S had an enlarged heart that put him at risk of sudden death - that means he could've died ANYWHERE - it was coincidence that he died on M:S. A few years ago, one of LSU's star baseball players, Wally Pontiff, died in his sleep from an unknown heart defect. If we close M:S, I guess we should strongly encourage people not to sleep, either.
Originally Posted By avromark <<I guess we should strongly encourage people not to sleep, either.>> Sleep is for the weak. The fact that deaths aren't as prevalent at theme parks as they are, show's how safe they are etc.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<just a thought Trippy, would you ground the airlines also , since a higher % of people die flying ( heart attacks / DVT etc.) than riding MS , and really the concerns over doing either are very similar ?>> Actually, I think during the past year in the United States, more people have died on Mission Space than have died on commercial aircraft. An aircraft operating properly will not kill people. An Extreme Roller Coaster operating properly will not kill people provided they don't try to get out of the restraints. What concerns me about Mission Space is that while operating properly, and with people not trying to do something they should not, the attraction apparently kills people with unknown heart defects. I don’t think Disney can continue to operate an attraction like that. What are they supposed to do? Make every person riding produce a clean bill of health from a cardiologist?
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<A few years ago, one of LSU's star baseball players, Wally Pontiff, died in his sleep from an unknown heart defect. If we close M:S, I guess we should strongly encourage people not to sleep, either.>> The fact is that people are NOT dieing on the other Disney attractions. I don't think Disney, in 50 years of theme park operation, has had ONE death on any other attraction when it was working properly and the guest was not doing something they should not do. Now two people have died in one year on Mission Space while both the ride and guest were doing what they should. That is more than coincidence. So now Disney has to decide whether or not they want to continue operating an attraction that will likely kill a person once every couple of years. I don't think continued operation is a chance they can take. As I said before... I wish it wasn't so. Mission Space is my favorite Theme Park attraction anywhere.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss People have been killed on the PM, but only because they climbed out of the vehicles and got run over, fell, etc.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <Actually, I think during the past year in the United States, more people have died on Mission Space than have died on commercial aircraft. < ""Based on Federal Aviation Administration surveys, an average of 15 medical emergencies may occur daily on U.S. airlines. Medical emergencies have more than doubled in the last decade, according to FAA, which says the increase may be due at least in part to improved airline accommodations for medically-at-risk disabled and elderly passengers."" While the statistics represent a small % of the 100M plus fliers each year. the deaths that occur on planes is a very large number Trippy. 3 times in my flying experiences ( I used to travel a lot when I was an internal auditor) - I witnesses coronary arrests on planes..at least 2 of those did not survive to get back on the ground.... That is why I say, the risks are similar..the numbers much higher...yet flying is safe for an overwhelming majority of passengers,
Originally Posted By KachinaBear Didn't an older woman die on Pirates of the Caribbean last year, due to heart attack or something? But anyway, you do have a point. Two people in a year is a much worse track record than any other ride (as far as I remember anyway). I think it's hard to argue that MS acted as a catalyst in these deaths, at least in the first one (without hearing more details about death #2 it would be premature to say the same for it, though I suspect so). Saying the person was just as likely to die anywhere isn't exactly true, because chances are they wouldn't have, had they not put themselves in such an extreme situation.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<While the statistics represent a small % of the 100M plus fliers each year. the deaths that occur on planes is a very large number Trippy.>> And I would guess that these people for the most part were old, had heart conditions, and would have been just as likely to die if they were driving a car, eating in a restaurant, or just relaxing in their recliner. The difference with the MS deaths is that the people were young, apparently were not aware of a medical problem and experienced other Disney attractions without trouble, but died after Mission Space. The woman who died on Pirates is like the folks dieing on planes... elderly people with know heart problems that could have just as easily died riding in their cars.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 A peer manager of mine died at 31 on a flight to White Plains NY in the ,mid 80's..played on company basketball team....natural causes they called it. I have a dislike of flying, but I do it because I have to...but I am telling you the 3 people that were on the planes when I actually was...the oldest couldn't have been 40-45, not 70 -80 . All I am saying is yes MS is probably more stressful than walking thru the Poo playground...but the %'s hardly makeit a killer. If the same people that have had issues on MS got on an airplane, the pressurization issues on blood pressure / blood sugar and other functions is also significant...and could be the same level trigger mechanism.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<All I am saying is yes MS is probably more stressful than walking thru the Poo playground...but the %'s hardly makeit a killer. If the same people that have had issues on MS got on an airplane, the pressurization issues on blood pressure / blood sugar and other functions is also significant...and could be the same level trigger mechanism. >> This probably sounds weird but I think if there is a commonality between death on aircraft and on Mission Space it is fear. I believe people CAN die of fear, and have no doubt that factored into both of the MS deaths.
Originally Posted By NikkiLOVESMickey <<I think it's hard to argue that MS acted as a catalyst in these deaths, at least in the first one (without hearing more details about death #2 it would be premature to say the same for it, though I suspect so). Saying the person was just as likely to die anywhere isn't exactly true, because chances are they wouldn't have, had they not put themselves in such an extreme situation.>> Unless you're a doctor, you don't know that. If someone has a heart defect that puts them at risk of sudden death, that means they could die walking down the street. The coroner did NOT implicate Mission:Space in playing any part in that boy's death. They didn't say his condition was aggravated by the ride, they said he had a condition that killed him. <<This probably sounds weird but I think if there is a commonality between death on aircraft and on Mission Space it is fear. I believe people CAN die of fear, and have no doubt that factored into both of the MS deaths.>> How can you say that - do you have inside information that some of us don't? Disney was cleared of fault in the boy's death, and we know NOTHING about the woman who passed today. Mission: Space has been running for three years and at no other time have two people passed on the ride within a year. I think it is a sad and unfortunate coincidence.
