12 y/o dies on ride at Disney
I cannot even imagine what this boys family is going through right now... Boy Dies After Disney Roller Coaster Ride By TRAVIS REED, Associated Press Writer 1 hour ago LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The father of a 12-year-old boy who died after riding a roller coaster at the Disney-MGM theme park told authorities his son was in good health and did not suffer from any medical conditions. Byron Russell, an Iraq war veteran, noticed his son, Michael, became limp while they rode the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster along with his mother and 7-year-old brother Thursday morning. When the minute-long ride finished, Byron Russell pulled Michael off the ride and performed CPR until paramedics arrived, said Barbara Miller, Orange County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman. The boy was pronounced dead after he was taken by ambulance to Celebration Hospital, Disney said in a statement. The cause of death was not immediately determined and medical examiners planned to perform an autopsy Friday. "According to the family, he was a very healthy child," Miller said. "The father repeated that he was healthy, he had no problems." Byron Russell is a part of the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) based at Fort Campbell, Ky., and served in Iraq, said special forces Command spokesman Maj. Jim Gregory. "You can't even put words to how devastating this would be," Gregory said. Special Forces Command and Disney said they were assisting the family. "Our deepest concerns are with the family," said Disney spokesman Jacob DiPietre. The boy's death is the la-*test*-('") in a string of tragedies at Walt Disney World in recent years. At least 15 people have died at Disney's theme parks in Florida and California since 1989, including some with pre-existing health conditions. Disney-MGM is among Disney's four Florida parks. Most of the company's recent troubles have been over another ride _ Epcot's "Mission: Space," a rocketship attraction that simulates a flight to Mars. Two people have died in the last year after going on the ride, which spins in a centrifuge that subjects riders to twice the normal force of gravity. Now Disney offers people an option to ride a tamer version of the ride that does not spin. Disney-MGM closed the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster on Thursday but said a preliminary investigation showed the ride was operating normally. The sheriff's office was investigating, and state park safety officials were also notified. A Disney Web site description of the ride says: "Zoom from 0-60 mph with the force of a supersonic F-14, take in high-speed loops and turns synchronized to a specially recorded Aerosmith soundtrack." Theme park consultants said the ride is relatively tame. "As roller coasters go that is not considered an ultra, ultra high-thrill coaster," said David Speigel, president of Cincinnati-based International Theme Park Services Inc. "It does have some high launch speeds, but it's more along the traditional lines of what roller coasters are today."
I cannot even imagine what this boys family is going through right now... Boy Dies After Disney Roller Coaster Ride By TRAVIS REED, Associated Press Writer 1 hour ago LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The father of a 12-year-old boy who died after riding a roller coaster at the Disney-MGM theme park told authorities his son was in good health and did not suffer from any medical conditions. Byron Russell, an Iraq war veteran, noticed his son, Michael, became limp while they rode the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster along with his mother and 7-year-old brother Thursday morning. When the minute-long ride finished, Byron Russell pulled Michael off the ride and performed CPR until paramedics arrived, said Barbara Miller, Orange County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman. The boy was pronounced dead after he was taken by ambulance to Celebration Hospital, Disney said in a statement. The cause of death was not immediately determined and medical examiners planned to perform an autopsy Friday. "According to the family, he was a very healthy child," Miller said. "The father repeated that he was healthy, he had no problems." Byron Russell is a part of the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) based at Fort Campbell, Ky., and served in Iraq, said special forces Command spokesman Maj. Jim Gregory. "You can't even put words to how devastating this would be," Gregory said. Special Forces Command and Disney said they were assisting the family. "Our deepest concerns are with the family," said Disney spokesman Jacob DiPietre. The boy's death is the la-*test*-('") in a string of tragedies at Walt Disney World in recent years. At least 15 people have died at Disney's theme parks in Florida and California since 1989, including some with pre-existing health conditions. Disney-MGM is among Disney's four Florida parks. Most of the company's recent troubles have been over another ride _ Epcot's "Mission: Space," a rocketship attraction that simulates a flight to Mars. Two people have died in the last year after going on the ride, which spins in a centrifuge that subjects riders to twice the normal force of gravity. Now Disney offers people an option to ride a tamer version of the ride that does not spin. Disney-MGM closed the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster on Thursday but said a preliminary investigation showed the ride was operating normally. The sheriff's office was investigating, and state park safety officials were also notified. A Disney Web site description of the ride says: "Zoom from 0-60 mph with the force of a supersonic F-14, take in high-speed loops and turns synchronized to a specially recorded Aerosmith soundtrack." Theme park consultants said the ride is relatively tame. "As roller coasters go that is not considered an ultra, ultra high-thrill coaster," said David Speigel, president of Cincinnati-based International Theme Park Services Inc. "It does have some high launch speeds, but it's more along the traditional lines of what roller coasters are today."