News Story - CNN.com - Woman dies a day afer riding Mission Space

[Suzanne74]

LOL! The Gravitron is WAY more intense than Mission Space. I think Mission Space is totally tame.

I'm sure we will find out that this woman died of some health problem, not because of the ride.

I totally agree with this statement. I have been on Mission Space 4 times and have loved it. I will still go on this ride. I already read that she had high blood pressure problems. Also the boy died of a stress related heart condition and the mom reported he was "stiff" as the ride started. Personally I was SO nervous getting on that ride the first time with all the warnings flashing in your face that my heart was pounding. Once the ride started, I kept thinking "is this it, I got all worked up for this??" I think the stress of thinking about the ride itself is SO much worse then the ride itself. Also, of all the times I have been on the ride or have stayed by the exit when we kidswap, I have never seen anyone throw up or even look sick. I am sure it does happen sometimes as in any thrill ride but Disney wouldn't keep a ride going unless it was 100% safe. When my dd is old enough and wants to go on, I will have no problem with her going on it as well...

I do grieve for the family though and wish them the best....

 

[boomhauer]

Also some people on this board are very insensitive as far as death goes. If that were my child that died on that ride on our family vacation I would be devasted for the rest of my life! Some people are taking this so lightly with there
"stuff Happens" attitude. They need to investigate the ride

I agree 100%.

 

[lark]

Where do I not allow for the possibility in my statement....I said ASSUMING there is a cause and effect is a mistake...and it is...re-evaluating it is reasonable but my comments were directed at those who insist the ride must be shut down forever as it OBVIOUSLY is a problem...the only obvious problem I see is that people lack the ability to think about things in a logically consistent way when it comes to accidents like this....I will say it again---cause and effect are not at all apparent here...if you do an experiment 12 million times and it comes out in a different way 2 of those times - I have a hard time making any conclusions from those 2 outcomes.

That's fair. But a couple of points. First, I think the "12 million" number is fallacious. That's undoubtedly turnstyle numbers. It's sort of like saying that the attendance last year for the St. Louis Cardinals home games was 5 million and concluding that 5,000,000 different people attended baseball games in St. Louis (even though the population of St. Louis is not even 5,000,000). I don't know how many repeat riders there are, but I'm sure it's a lot. Second, even if we assume that it's several million, though, we simply don't have enough information. Two is twice as many as one, and makes it impossible to say the first was an isolated incident. Were these two unlucky people? I think that's what defenders or disney and mission space want to believe. It's PROBABLY true. But what if it's the opposite -- what if I told you, though, that 4 other people who rode Mission Space in the last year came close to death after riding it but just didn't know it and didn't know how close they were? Probable? Nope. Possible? Sure.

I don't know of any other major theme park attraction at which two people have died after riding it. I've never heard of that. This one hasn't been open for very long.

I certainly don't think any conclusions can be made, but my point is that they can't be made one way or the other. And some of these posters who rather callously suggest without knowing that these folks would have died shoveling snow really don't know. And even if they are right, if the worst that comes out of this is that we do more investigation and people get a sense that the warnings are real, that's a good thing.

 

[Soichiro]

While I really doubt that the ride by itself was the cause of death (pre-existing condition), I almost hope that they'll close it down. I think the ride is kinda lame.

If they close it down, they'll probably re-open Wonders of Life as an alternative. WOL is the better exhibit.

So, you're suggesting that they close a $100 million dollar ride that's practically revitalized EPCOT on it's own, and re-open an extremely outdated attraction that's ever rarely been crowded in it's stead?

Regardless of whether or not that's a good idea, Disney would never do that. $$ > common sense in most scenarios.

This is not one of those scenarios.

 

[Harmony]

Regardless of everything that's been said, one thing is for certain...MS has made many, many people feel extremely sick.

I don't know how reliable this is, and I don't have any research to back me up, but a CM did tell me and my DH that last summer at least one person everyday had to go to the first aide station after riding MS. He also said that many people experienced chest pains.

Again...I don't have numbers or an actual document to back up this claim. All I know is that I'm not willing to roll the dice with my health or my family's health and even though my son loves this ride, he will no longer be riding it.

It's not necessarily up to Disney to keep open or close this ride...it's up to parents to determine what's best for their children and what chances they are willing to take.

Edited to add: Though everyone should take precautions with their own health, if the ride is proven to have had a hand in this woman's death, then Disney should take a good hard look at the ride and it's effects on people, esp children.

(edited 'cause I don't want others to assume that I'm of the "disney is never at fault" belief. I do believe if MS had a direct hand in her death, then Disney should take precautions to prevent something like this from happening again)

 

[jann1033]

My DH rode MS when it first opened in 2003. He was fine but told me to stay not to ride because I get carsick. Glad I followed his advice! I ride all the roller coaster with no problem. RNR is one of my favorites. My DD who will be 6 on this trip will not be riding MS! I hope DH chosses not to as well. There are people old & young who don't feel right after riding MS. Also some people on this board are very insensitive as far as death goes. If that were my child that died on that ride on our family vacation I would be devasted for the rest of my life! Some people are taking this so lightly with there
"stuff Happens" attitude. They need to investigate the ride

They did investigate and the child had a cardiac problem that would have killed him sometime, pure and simple.unfortunate yes, just like any other of the millions of times this happens is unfortunate. it could have happened to this little one anytime...no one is saying it's not devastating for the parents or grandparents or siblings but it has nothing to do with Disney...he happened to die after riding a ride there but it would have happened and his parents would have felt that same grief no matter when or how it happened. the fact it happened where it did is a fluke, that doesn't make it Disney's fault and to blame the ride is imo totally ridiculous...it was proven otherwiseit's not anyone's fault, it just is an unavoidable occurance. and this kind of stuff does happen all the time, it doesn't make it any more or less tragic cause it happened at wdw, just more "news" worthy if you want to sensationalize it.

 

[jann1033]

That's fair. But a couple of points. First, I think the "12 million" number is fallacious. That's undoubtedly turnstyle numbers. It's sort of like saying that the attendance last year for the St. Louis Cardinals home games was 5 million and concluding that 5,000,000 different people attended baseball games in St. Louis (even though the population of St. Louis is not even 5,000,000). I don't know how many repeat riders there are, but I'm sure it's a lot. Second, even if we assume that it's several million, though, we simply don't have enough information. Two is twice as many as one, and makes it impossible to say the first was an isolated incident. Were these two unlucky people? I think that's what defenders or disney and mission space want to believe. It's PROBABLY true. But what if it's the opposite -- what if I told you, though, that 4 other people who rode Mission Space in the last year came close to death after riding it but just didn't know it and didn't know how close they were? Probable? Nope. Possible? Sure.

I don't know of any other major theme park attraction at which two people have died after riding it. I've never heard of that. This one hasn't been open for very long.

I certainly don't think any conclusions can be made, but my point is that they can't be made one way or the other. And some of these posters who rather callously suggest without knowing that these folks would have died shoveling snow really don't know. And even if they are right, if the worst that comes out of this is that we do more investigation and people get a sense that the warnings are real, that's a good thing.

if you haven't you might want to read the other thread bout this as there is a link that rules out ms as far as the 1 death goes and since there is nothing as of yet saying it had anything to do with the death of the woman, that means as of yet there is zero evidence ms caused anyone's death. however i know of a coaster at Kings island that someone fell off of, heard of a ride in Delaware where a man was electrocuted, know someone stood up i believe on one of the mountains and was decapitated in DL( i don't remember all the details) so going by your line of reasoning amusement parks are inherently dangerous places and cause many deaths and probably should all be shut down.

and since i said the comment about shoveling snow, i live in the snow belt and i would say at least once every 1-2 yrs you see a newspaper account of someone who dies because of an unknown problem exacerbated by shoveling snow which is my point....it happens all the time, not just on a Disney ride. not sure how stating a fact is "callous"...the little boy had a cardiac problem, evidently undetected ,that according to the ME would have caused his death sometime in some situation and was not due to MS malfunctioning or what ever- it was due to his heart not working. if it was undetected cardiomyopathy you can literally die in your sleep from that, so how can someone blame anything but chance for this child's death?the article further stated how not just Disney rides but some others also are considered safe for most people, hence the warnings. obviously nothing can cover every conceivable incidence but that isn't negligence.

 

[chrisn]

NEVER AGAIN! I have to agree with all the others. I rode this ride in February of 05 and HATED every second of it. I too thought I was going to stroke out or something. I LOVE rollercoasters and ride Hulk, R&RC, DD, Kraken etc but I will NEVER step foot on MS again. Nor will my kids DD-18 and DS-8. DD didn't like it and is scared after the first person died DS I just flat out refuse to let him ride.

When all the skin of my face was ready to peel off of my skull (not fun) and I felt as if I was in the netherworld for 1/2 hour after the ride, I pretty much determined it was not something for me.

 

[lark]

the little boy had a cardiac problem, evidently undetected ,that according to the ME would have caused his death sometime in some situation and was not due to MS malfunctioning or what ever

How on earth do you know that? That's a very liberal interpretation of what the ME said. The ME most definitely DID not say that the condition would have caused the boy's death. I see this repeated over and over and over, usually coupled with a statement that he did not die "because" of mission space.

There is absolutely no way to know whether or not that is true. That is a judgment, but certainly something that NO medical examiner ever would or could say. Actually, mission space probably did cause the boy's death -- in the sense that if he had been in his hotel room resting comfortably at the same time, he probably wouldn't have died at that same instant.

The boy had a ventricle problem. Could some less stressful situation have caused a non-fatal situation in which it was diagnosed and potentially treated? Perhaps. You and I have no idea, nor does the medical examiner. The harsh reality is that we can never know what his life would have been like if he hadn't gotten on MS that morning. That doesn't make disney a bad company or MS a bad ride, but I think saying that the ME cleared any causal connection between MS and the death is a dramatic overstatement.

It moreover is irrelevant. Whether the boy would have lived twelve years, twelve days, twelve hours, or twelve minutes longer but for Mission Space, aren't we being a little callous about those twelve years, twelve days, twelve hours, or twelve minutes? Do you not think the family would pay a king's ransom just for twelve more minutes with their boy?

If there is something about Mission Space that is unsafe or exascerbates these kinds of conditions, disney is duty bound to figure it out. Perhaps, as you predict, the answer is there is nothing. I also would predict that is the answer. But to say that you're sure of that just because you think the boy would have eventually died anyway based on an ME's report that concluded only that merely stated he had a pre-existing condition? As I said, that's a conclusion that nobody can know.

(FYI, it was not your snow shoveling comment I was responding to.)

 

[ryanally]

As soon as I saw the news of the recent death at the World, I called my husband and said "Here we go again!" More finger-pointing and heated discussions.
To Bill in PA-glad to see you feel the same way we do about the Gravitron at the local carnival.
TinkerShellBell- agree with you about some(although sometimes I think most) people being uneducated about what each ride is about. Cannot tell you how many times our family is behind someone who doesn't do Disney all the time and thinks that a ride is at another park or the ride experience is different than what they are explaining to other members of their party. Only those of us who are addicted to Disney hang on every last detail of each ride and recite information verbatim. People need to claim responsibility for their own actions and choices as Bicker said.
DH and I love the ride and have done it 10x between us. Would I let my 6 year old ride? Uh no. He just put the scary ghosts of HM behind him. Would I let my MIL who has a bad back and a heart problem ride? Uh no.
The death of this woman and the little boy before her are tragic and we mourn for the families, but Disney should not be blamed and the ride should not be closed entirely.

 

[bicker]

Are we sure that this woman never rode Mission: Space before?

So, you're suggesting that they close a $100 million dollar ride that's practically revitalized EPCOT on it's own, and re-open an extremely outdated attraction that's ever rarely been crowded in it's stead?

Great point. You hit the nail right on the head.

it's up to parents to determine what's best for their children and what chances they are willing to take.

Precisely. Personal accountability -- people decide what risk they and theirs take, and thereby determine what kind of risks they're willing to take onto themselves.

 

[jann1033]

The most serious incident came this past summer, though, when 4-year-old Daudi Bamuwamye collapsed after riding Mission: Space with his mother and sister. He later died of heart failure. An autopsy showed that Bamuwamye had a congenital heart defect.

"People with this condition are at risk for sudden death throughout their life due to abnormal electrical heart rhythms," according to a Nov. 15 report by the medical examiner for Orange and Osceola counties. "This risk could be increased under physical or emotional stressful situations."

personally i would assume any congenital heart defect serious enough to cause a 4 yr old's death is pretty serious. if it was ventricular fibrillation i can only repeat what my cardiovascular specialist told me about a young girl who has the same congenital abnormality as i have that can cause ventricular fibrillation(hadn't really planned on going into my medical history here but her abnormality is worse than mine which is why i am still living) "it will kill her". now maybe he is wrong but unless you are a cardiovascular specialist i think I feel more comfortable taking his opinion. and since you usually die with in mins with VF, i doubt his chances of surviving would have been much better any place else.

 

[Bill From PA]

Let's see what we agree on:

1. When someone dies, it's a Bad Thing.

2. When someone dies, they were usually doing something at the time or shortly before.

3. The doing of that thing at that time does not imply a causual relationship, particularly if millions of others did the same thing and did not die.

4. Rides involving circular motion make some people feel ill. Astro Orbiter can cause me to make chunks.

5. Except for the guy who stepped out of the log on SplMtn about a year ago and was crushed, every recent WDW fatality that the media implied was tied to a Disney ride has turned out to have been caused by a physical flaw, known or otherwise, to the victim.

6. This most recent event will be thoroughly investigated and a cause will be attributed to it.

That about it? Now, I'm off to celebrate the resurrection of Our Lord, which involves stuffing my face with ham and guzzling obscene quantities of fermented barley and hops, neither of which will harm me in any way. Have a great holiday, all!

Bill From PA

 

[WDWNicole]

Let's see what we agree on:

1. When someone dies, it's a Bad Thing.

2. When someone dies, they were usually doing something at the time or shortly before.

3. The doing of that thing at that time does not imply a causual relationship, particularly if millions of others did the same thing and did not die.

4. Rides involving circular motion make some people feel ill. Astro Orbiter can cause me to make chunks.

5. Except for the guy who stepped out of the log on SplMtn about a year ago and was crushed, every recent WDW fatality that the media implied was tied to a Disney ride has turned out to have been caused by a physical flaw, known or otherwise, to the victim.

6. This most recent event will be thoroughly investigated and a cause will be attributed to it.

That about it? Now, I'm off to celebrate the resurrection of Our Lord, which involves stuffing my face with ham and guzzling obscene quantities of fermented barley and hops, neither of which will harm me in any way. Have a great holiday, all!

Bill From PA

Happy Easter, Bill!

 

[micknpluto]

Basically, as we all probably know ....

The only reason we hear of stuff like this, is because it is DISNEY! You dont hear of people dying on carnival rides and Im sure it has happened. They go after the big guns like Disney..

I feel for these people, for their families. My heart goes out to them. I just hate when it puts Disney in a bad light for something that really isn't their fault.

Like I said before "HERE WE GO AGAIN" ...I'm surprised my phone hasn't started ringing off the hook..poeple just LOVE calling me up to rub it in my face..Oh did ya see, someone died in Disney on that ride!! (like it affects me directly because I love Disney the way i do)

I'm staying out of this one...

 

[ReninDetroit]

If the logic of "how many riders don't die" works, then the logic of "how many ride have similar warnings and people DON'T die" also works and probably even better.

Enough is enough for Mission Space. How many people have undiagnosed heart problems or blood pressure problems? Are we now suggesting people go for a full physical in order to ride attractions at EPCOT?

These are my thoughts exactly. I couldn't possibly agree more.

This has gotten to the point where Disney is being irresponsible by keeping the ride as it currently is.

 

[Sleeping Jedi Beauty]

Anytime someone dies at a theme park, it's sad. However, this does not mean that Disney should shut down M:S or any other attraction that a person has died on. If they were to do so, BTMRR and Splash would be gone permanently, and it was a mistake on Disney's part that caused the tragedy on BTMRR. They should and do shut down the ride to determine if it was a mistake on their part that caused the accident. The ride is open again today, so I'm confident that Disney and the state of Florida have determined that what happened was an accident and the result of something that Disney had no control over.

 

[bicker]

This has gotten to the point where Disney is being irresponsible by keeping the ride as it currently is.

Sorry, but that sounds silly to me. They would be irresponsible to change the ride in the absence of evidence showing that the changes would make fewer people die. Dr. W. Edwards Deming made the point over 50 years ago: You don't change a system based on gut-feel.

 

[boomhauer]

So, you're suggesting that they close a $100 million dollar ride that's practically revitalized EPCOT on it's own, and re-open an extremely outdated attraction that's ever rarely been crowded in it's stead?

I just wanna reply to this as it caught my attention. Mission:Space has not done this in the least bit. IN the 5 times I've been to Disney World since the ride opened, there's never been longer than a 20 minute wait. I'm not sure if it's a fast loader, but it hardly seems like it's responsible for turning Epcot's fortunes around. The attendance has increased at ALL Disney parks over the past 2 years. If anything, it can be attriubted to more people travelling again.

Soarin has been MUCH more successfull and popular than M:S has been.

Horizons was a great ride. Much like Spaceship Earth, waits were hardly ever long because it was a continuous moving ride. Plenty of people rode Horizons. I'm not saying I disagree wholeheartedly with Disney replacing it. It's common sense that things occasioanlly could use updating, but M:S hasn't been the savior of Epcot by any means.

 

[bicker]

The queues aren't that bad on Spaceship Earth because it isn't an attraction many folks want to ride more than once in a day.