OMG! Mission Space death

[conmama]

I just got on CNN today and read that a 4 year old passed out on Mission Space and died. Have you all ready about it yet?

 

[happygirl]

Here the story, It's very very very very sad


LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida (AP) -- A 4-year-old boy died after passing out aboard Walt Disney World's "Mission: Space," a ride so intense that it has motion sickness bags and several riders have been treated for chest pain.

Daudi Bamuwamye passed out Monday afternoon on the attraction, which simulates a rocket launch and trip to Mars. The Orange County Sheriff's Office said his mother carried him off the ride and employees helped her place him on a bench.

Paramedics tried to revive him, but he died at Celebration Hospital.

The sheriff's office said the boy did meet the minimum 44-inch height requirement for the ride at the Epcot theme park, which uses centrifugal force to simulate twice the normal force of gravity.

An autopsy was expected Tuesday to determine the cause of the boy's death.

Officials said the boy from Sellersville, Pennsylvania, was on the ride with his mother, Agnes, and a sister.

The $100 million ride, one of Disney World's most popular, was closed after the death but was reopened Tuesday after company engineers concluded that it was operating normally.

In 2003, Disney began placing motion sickness bags in the ride.

During an eight-month period in 2003-04, six people over age 55 were taken to hospitals for treatment of chest pain and nausea after riding "Mission: Space," though none of them was found to have any serious problem.

At that time, it was the most hospital visits for a single ride since Florida's major theme parks agreed in 2001 to report such problems to the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Updated figures were not immediately available.

One other death was reported at Disney World this year. A 77-year-old woman who was in poor health from diabetes and several ministrokes died in February after going on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at the Magic Kingdom. A medical examiner's report said her death "was not unexpected."

Signs warn visitors about the intensity of the "Mission: Space" ride.

"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," one sign on view last year said. Signs also warn pregnant women not to go on the ride.

Florida's major parks are not directly regulated by the Department of Agriculture; state law exempts large, permanent amusement parks that have their own inspectors from state oversight. But the parks agreed to share safety information in 2001.

Disney officials said in a statement after the boy's death that they were "providing support to the family and are doing everything we can to help them during this difficult time."

 

[striker3636]

How tragic for the family. I wonder if there was an underlying medical condition that the ride somehow made worse? Our thoughts and prayers to the family....

 

[traci]

How very sad

 

[honey11dog]

I feel really bad for the family too. I just think that a 4 year old, no matter how tall, are too young to be exposed to G-Forces like on Mission Space. I know that a lot of people have been on Mission Space without incident. But one child's death does matter. Most toddlers are too scared to ride Mission Space. But maybe Disney should consider increasing the height limit to eliminate the chance that toddlers would ride. I guess we should wait to hear the autopsy results before we blame the ride. I heard that it was reopened today, so it must be OK.

 

[pinkdiamonds1007]

I was just getting ready to post this, then I saw op's thread. How very very sad. OMG< i can't even imagine. Disney's ride or not. THis is just horrific! I mean, just imagine how excited the parents must have been to take their child to WDW< and then to have something terriable like things happen.

My familys thoughts and prayers are with them.

 

[ChristyJ]

pinkdiamonds1007-I was basically just saying the same thing to my husband (who called me from work to tell me about this-he had read it on MSNBC). I feel sooo horrible for this family. They probably, like all of us, planned and saved for this special trip-then to have something this awful happen...I just can't imagine. My thoughts and prayers go out to them...

 

[pinkdiamonds1007]

pinkdiamonds1007-I was basically just saying the same thing to my husband (who called me from work to tell me about this-he had read it on MSNBC). I feel sooo horrible for this family. They probably, like all of us, planned and saved for this special trip-then to have something this awful happen...I just can't imagine. My thoughts and prayers go out to them...

tear...I know.

 

[newtowdw1]

What a tragedy. I wonder, though, if the boy had an underlying medical issue. Two years ago we had a teenager die in the HS pool. He had taken too much of his ADD medicine, which is what killed him. He would have died anywhere, at that time. Maybe this little boy had a seizure or...I don't know. His poor mother. What a nightmare.

 

[cwnhokie]

We went on our first trip with DS4 and DS2 in May. My thoughts are the sames as most of yours. I'm sitting here with tears rolling down my cheeks thinking about that family. My thoughts and prayers are with them as well.

 

[KristinU]

I just can't even fathom how horrifying this is for the family...so terribly sad.

 

[stahshee]

my prayers to the family. John 3:16.

 

[DebIreland]

Oh no. This is so tragic. I can't fathom what his family are going through right now - utterly heartbreaking.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

OMG! That poor family. I can't even imagine what that would be like. If anything happened to my kids I would die. My thoughts and prayers are with them. I too wonder if the child maybe had an undetected health problem. Not that it matters- either way it is a horrible tragedy.

 

[2d_star_to_the_right]

It is a horrible tragedy. The loss for this family is life shattering. I pray they find the strength to live and not to become mired in regret, guilt, or bitterness.

 

[rt2dz]

I feel so horrible for this family. It broke my heart to hear about this early this morning. My heart & my prayers go out to this family, especially having my own 4 yo son. I am assuming at this point though, it didn't have to do with the ride, but propably a medical condition. The news said the autopsy revealed no trauma what-so-ever, not even a broken bone. And the local people here (six flags & NASA) stated in the newspaper article that the strength of the g-force for that ride really isn't anything that can cause health issues. Regardless though, that poor family. What a horrible thing!