With Great Regret I report.....a death :( - Update 041406 - pg 3

[dvcconvert]

Woman Dies After Riding "Mission: Space"

POSTED: 8:39 pm EDT April 12, 2006

WALT DISNEY WORLD, Fla. -- 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.
Copyright 2006 by wftv.com.

[withdisneyspirit]

:( How very sad to hear!

[Debbie in Seattle]

Once was enough for us! There were folks laying in the grass all around the outside of the ride. Never saw my husband grayer.

My condolences to the woman's family.

[dgaston]

Many sympathies to this woman's family. However, I have never seen people laying in the grass outside the ride, and even though I can no longer do tea cups, I enjoy Mission: Space very much. DH could probably ride it all day long.

[PoohsPal]

That is so sad. I fell for teh worman's family and it is tragic. I know there are peole out there who could not take the ride. I told dh he is never to go on it, because teh whole of bjective is to trick your mind into thinking it is going up instead of spinning. I do not think his mind could be tricked liked that. So, I've told him not to bother. I've ridden it multiple times in a row, however. WHile I feel horribly for the woman's family, my gut feeling is that they will find a pre-existing condition with her also. My heart goes out to her loved ones, though.

[DarthGoofy]

May God be with her family at this time.

[athenna]

I am praying for her family at this time. My thoughts are with them. How tragic.

[Colorado Belle]

How terribly tragic.

While it wouldn't be fair to blame the ride or the spinning on the ride for a death, clearly the spinning effects some people...people at risk...in grave ways.

And none of us really know if we might be at risk. I've ridden (is that a word?) MS numerous times and tho I kinda like it....my body does feel kinda weird after the ride. Perhaps my brain 'copes' with the effect at the moment; maybe some people can't cope and something goes deathly wrong.

While it doesn't seem appropriate to blame the ride and/or close it down; it does give me pause.

condolences to the family...what a tragic loss.

[Rozzie]

very sad. I can't imagine something like that happening at the happiest place on earth.

[ghost1000]

What terrible news.

[CRSNDSNY]

That is tragic news! How horrible!

DH and I vowed to never go on that ride again...once was enough! We were very green afterwards!

[jiggerj]

Oh my gosh- How very sad and very tragic - My heart just breaks for her family-

I am not a fan of MS- went on it once and probably never again- No, I wont be going on it again. I was a little shakey after I got off- A ride that has "bags" inside in case you get sick made me more nervous than all the warning signs-

[AFMom]

That poor family. I can't imagine that happening. I hope they are getting the support they need as they are probably away from home - those poor people.....
All those warning signs about your physical ability to ride only help if you know you have a problem. That little boy's family (and probably this woman) didn't know..... As much as it isn't the rides fault - you almost feel you should get a physical before riding!
I know of a few heart attacks off of Space Mountain in CA, COP in CA actually had a CM and a guest die, the two deaths on Thunder Mtn, and of all things - that poor woman waiting to get on the Columbia when the tie down lines snapped. Other than COP - none of those were shut down in CA even though the accidents were in the news for weeks.

My DH and kids rode MS 3 times in one day and had no problems at all - but I could only handle it once. I didn't really get sick (not as sick as I've been on the Tea Cups) - but it induced a migraine. So I had to take my migraine cocktail. Luckily I keep it with me. I found out later - after we got home from the trip - that many people have reported coming away with a migraine. So it isn't just motion sickness on that one. I'll still let the kids ride it though, they love it.

[cobbler]

How very sad :(

I too have ridden it once and never again. Even though my oldest did fine on it twice with the recent reports, I won't let him go on it anymore.

I know that most probably had a pre-existing condition but I am not about to chance something that has the real possibility of triggering it.

HUGS for the womans family.

[Piglet513]

I have never riden MS. Is it a rough ride?

[tjkraz]

If you've ever seen old NASA footage of astronauts being spun around in what appears to be a large centrifuge, that's the basic ride mechanism of Mission Space.

Now, it's certainly not as hard on your body as astronaut training. In fact, word is they scaled-back the forces on the ride throughout the testing period.

I've ridden it myself twice. The first time was in May '04. It was just before lunch and I came off feeling a bit queazy (sp?). The second time, in December '04, I was careful to follow all of the pre-boarding instructions (keep your eyes on the screen, don't move your head around much) and felt just fine getting off.

It really is a wonderful experience. During the launch you can literally feel your cheeks being pulled down due to the extra "G" forces. Once "in space", you'll feel a few seconds of weightlessness. As usually with any Disney attraction storyline...something goes wrong during your voyage and you end up crash landing on Mars. During that segment it isn't much different than Star Tours or any other simulator.

While we don't have any specific ridership numbers, Epcot hosts about 11-12 million guests per year. MS has been open for 2 1/2 years now. One other guest died and the COD was determined to be a pre-existing heart condition.

It's hard to argue that Disney is at fault given the tens of thousands that have safely ridden and the numerous pre-boarding health and safety warnings. But the reality is that few of us would even KNOW if we have a pre-existing condition that might be exacerbated by the ride. I don't want to be a nervous nellie, but I do have just a little concern over taking my son on it next month. Sure the odds are much higher that either of us would be harmed in some other fashion, but death via theme park attraction isn't really what I had in mind.

[gopherit]

I saw this on another site and agree it's so very sad and tragic....:worried:

I also cannot reconcile, however, how this particular ride seems to be under the microscope and has had these fatalities occur when there are other rides built around the CF (centrifugal force) concept that are not. Even just the forces placed on you by a roller coaster - seems like we would be hearing of more "unexplained" or sudden death on those. I get very motion sick and quite frankly, this ride did not sit well with me at all. But note that I was coerced by my desperate children to do this RIGHT AFTER filling my belly at Beaches and Cream... Two words : NOT GOOD. :blech: ) I didn't witness anyone else really having issues, but I did hear some folks much later in the evening complaining at the next table about having a headache and "darn that M:S ride....Never again!" Of course, that could have just as easily been my otherwise roller-coaster loving DH complaining after watching and turning green from the Canada 360 movie - and I don't think anyone has perished on it. Aeronautics people ride in much more fierce simulators and we don't hear of major fatalities there - granted, though, those people are medically screened. it just seems that statistically, if in fact a certain tiny percent of the population has a congenital defect or some medical chink in their armor that would be dangerous on M:S, it would be dangerous also on those centrifugal spinning rides you see elsewhere, or some of the high force roller coasters, and that there would have been ,by now, at least 1 or two "unexplained" deaths that were only reconciled afterwards by autopsy showing this "predisposition". Do you think perhaps that HAS occurred and the media just latches onto Disney more intensely? Or do people push the limits more at Disney (for some it's that once-in-a-lifetime place and maybe they figure, sure it's intense but it will only be for a few seconds and I want to see just how bad/scary/intense /whatever it is)? Or does M:S defy statistics and is just a really incredibly tragic but purely coincidental ending for two lifestories?

[Stimpy]

Very sad. I feel so bad for her family and loved ones. They are all in my thoughts.

Unfortunately, I'm not really that surprised. I really liked the ride when I rode it but due to personal reasons after riding it, neither I, nor anyone in my family, will ride it again. (And that was before this incident) If anyone read my (very long!) post in the nothing thread, you might recognize why.

[KNWVIKING]

One of the differences between the spinning in M:S and other "spinners" is the length of time the spin is maintained. Rollercoasters subject the body to various G's for a very short time.

I've never seen anyone come off the ride sick. I've seen people laying on the grass, but I always assumed -and still do - that they are people just looking to sit down in the shade to relax and get out of the sun.

Disney hyped M:S as a thrill ride to compete with IOA. IMO, telling everyone barf bags are availible is another way of bragging the ride up as EXTREME. Just imagine what a generation X'er is thinking when he hears Disney hands out barf bags for a ride - M:S has to be more AWESOME then Hulk or Dueling Dragons.

I also think that the hype causes anxiety in would be riders long before they actually get on the ride. They're nervous, blood pressure is rising, belly acid is churning, palms are sweating,tension headache, etc. How can they do the ride and not possibly come off it feeling a little "uneasy", they were uneasy when they got on it.

The womans death is a tragidy regardless of the cause. A woman died in a boat at PotC. Had a heart attack or something. No one even thought to ask if the ride was a factor. But because M:S has an unknown element about it, the ride will become the scapegoat.

That said, maybe it time to shutdown a ride that can cause a ticking timebomb to go off prematurely. Maybe the extended G's cause a weak blood vessel to rupture. Maybe if she never got on M:S the rupture never occurs, or is discovered during an exam. We'll never know.

I've ridden it several times. I like it,it has no affect on me physically, but maybe I never go on it again. Maybe I've got a time bomb sitting inside me somewhere. Maybe the next ride is my last, or my DW's.

The bigger question in my mind is this: Why does Disney want or need the IOA crowd. Build more attractions like Soarin' ,E:E and McPhil and you'll always beat the coaster kings. Disney needs to get back to doing what it always did best. Be the leader, don't try and follow 2nd place.

[gopherit]

One of the differences between the spinning in M:S and other "spinners" is the length of time the spin is maintained. Rollercoasters subject the body to various G's for a very short time....

I wondered about that too - is it posted anywhere, a rough comparison of sustained forces on various rollercoasters versus M:S? I was under the impression that while you're under the forces initially during MS, they tone down once you get that face press and then the weightless thing - after that, it's the bumpy meteors (which is actually what made me ill! I was fine until then... which is why Body Wars made me GAG...)

I also think that the hype causes anxiety in would be riders long before they actually get on the ride. They're nervous, blood pressure is rising, belly acid is churning, palms are sweating,tension headache, etc. How can they do the ride and not possibly come off it feeling a little "uneasy", they were uneasy when they got on it.

ITA - there's a lot of head-games going on before you even ride, especially for a first timer, although we don't know whether this woman was a first-time rider or not.

The womans death is a tragidy regardless of the cause. A woman died in a boat at PotC. Had a heart attack or something. No one even thought to ask if the ride was a factor. But because M:S has an unknown element about it, the ride will become the scapegoat. As I noted in a prior post elsewhere, a teen once died of an aneurysm in my town - she was washing her hair, hagning her head down over a bathtub. Could have just as easily been crusing around IASW... or riding M:S. You just don't know.

That said, maybe it time to shutdown a ride that can cause a ticking timebomb to go off prematurely. Maybe the extended G's cause a weak blood vessel to rupture. Maybe if she never got on M:S the rupture never occurs, or is discovered during an exam. We'll never know.

I've ridden it several times. I like it,it has no affect on me physically, but maybe I never go on it again. Maybe I've got a time bomb sitting inside me somewhere. Maybe the next ride is my last, or my DW's.

Gotta admit, I think like that too. I know that this death in a way actually reduces my odds of it happening to me or a loved one. But I also know that I have no way of always knowing what's going on inside any of us, and some things can't be predicted, only second-guessed afterwards, and I'd hate to forever second-guess choices I made if the end result was loss of a loved one.

The bigger question in my mind is this: Why does Disney want or need the IOA crowd. Build more attractions like Soarin' ,E:E and McPhil and you'll always beat the coaster kings. Disney needs to get back to doing what it always did best. Be the leader, don't try and follow 2nd place.

Hmmm, maybe this is the only place where our minds differ, because I didn't really see M:S as a thrill ride - I guess I always thought it was a WAY cool concept of introducing you to the feeling of space travel. I have always wondered what those simulators felt like that NASA uses and considered M:S to be my little "taste". All the science behind it was what appealed to me, not so much the thrill or how I would feel. I'm normally a very motion-sick gopher, but I let my kids talk me into M:S because I just had to get that one little taste. (Granted, I kept getting that "taste" for the remainder of the evening :blech: .... pretty much sealed my fate to never be an astronaut....) To me, RnR is more of a pure thrills ride than M:S (which is why this rodent doesn't ride RnR!) With M:S Disney is doing the whole "ambiance" theming thing they do so well. Just, in this case, perhaps a little TOO well, unless all riders are going to be screened like military pilots first.

[KNWVIKING]

I don't find M:S to be a thrill ride either, but that is exactly the way Disney marketed it.

I think everyone knows what to expect from a rollercoaster. I doubt anyone ever got off Dueling Dragons thinking " wish I'd known it was going to be like that". People that would never go on a coaster because they know what to expect will try M:S simply because it's not a coaster.

On a "nausea meter" my DW cannot do Body Wars or Star Tours type rides. She won't do TeaCups unless I promise not to spin the cup. She won't do Hulk type coasters - well, at least not more than once. But she'll do M:S if she didn't just finish eating or is about to go have a meal.

So no, I don't believe M:S is a thrill ride.

My point is that Disney now has a ride that MAY be the trigger for people with defects. For the sake of trying to steal a few riders from IOA, is it worth it ?

This is how I look at Disney: Mom & Dad bring they young kids. Have great family vacations. Kids get older, Disney isn't KEWL anymore, they need thrills. Disney loses them for a few years. Meanwhile, Mom & Dad are having great Disney trips as empty nesters. Kids marry,have their own kids. Guess where they're going.... back to Disney. Now they see Disney in an entirely different light. They understand why Mom & Dad love the place. The cycle continues. I know of no other park that can compete with this kind of never ending cycle.

[gopherit]

My point is that Disney now has a ride that MAY be the trigger for people with defects. For the sake of trying to steal a few riders from IOA, is it worth it ?



I think I see where you're coming from but I guess I just don't think Disney jumped the shark on this with a desperate goal of "getting back" IOA folks. If that had been their goal, there would have been less science and meticulous Disney theming and they could have just made a humongous roller coaster, with some "spaceship" shaped capsules, planetary motif, and a track that inverts no less than 3 times as it goes through a "launch" looking place of fire, then a dark cold "spacey" place, then maybe zips into another hot zone as we near the sun, or bumpy ride dodging the metoers with twists, turns, and seemingly near misses - basically thrill coaster with a twist of NASA-ish lemon. Now that, to me, would be an attempt to compete with the thrill parks. But a sitting in a pod that never leaves the building, pretending to be an engineer or navigator, while the machine moves in a way to make you "think" you're rocketing through space - lets you "feel" the forces on your face and actual weightlessness - well to me that's Disney imagineering at its finest.


But I do agree - in the general scheme of whether the risks of that ride are worth it if it triggers disaster for a very small "endangered" population - well, it's easy to say it doesn't matter .... IF you know you're not among that populus. ANd who among us knows that for absolute certain? Maybe today you're fine... maybe you rode 53 times already and are just peachy. But if tomorrow your kid gets the flu or maybe a filling... and a year from now you take him on M:S.... and his unbeknownst-to-you-or-him enlargened heart can't take it....or maybe that little weak spot in your artery that held up ok until jusssst about now......and you jump on again.... or your spouse was in a car wreck and never realized she had a clot, just waiting for the right forces to dislodge it.... well, it does give food for a bit of fear and thought. :Paranoid:

[dvcconvert]

Update:

Medical Examiner: German tourist died from bleeding of brain
The autopsy of Hiltrud Blümel showed 'severe, long standing high blood pressure,' Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Jan Garavaglia said in a statement released this afternoon.


By Henry Pierson Curtis | Sentinel Staff Writer

Woman dies after ride at Disney World
Apr 13, 2006

Excerpts from the Medical Examiner's autopsy report for Daudi Bamuwamye (ORANGE/OSCEOLA MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE)

Apr 14, 2006


A German tourist who collapsed this week after riding the Mission: Space thrill ride at Walt Disney died from bleeding of the brain brought on high blood pressure, according to the Orange-Osceola Medical Examiner's Office.

The autopsy of Hiltrud Blümel showed of "severe, long standing high blood pressure," Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Jan Garavaglia said in a statement released Friday afternoon. There were no signs of trauma, she said.

The official cause and manner of death will not be determined for four to six weeks until results are obtained from tests on the victim's brain, other organs and blood, the doctor said.

Blümel, 49, summoned help at 1:19 p.m. Tuesday, shortly after completing the 4-minute thrill ride that spins up to 160 customers at 2 Gs, twice Earth's gravity, on a mock space flight to Mars, records show.

She died Wednesday at Florida Hospital Celebration Health, according to Disney spokesmen.

Garavaglia's initial findings of "a hypertensive bleed within the brain" confirmed the same diagnosis made by the doctors who treated Blümel.

The death is the second within a year associated with the $100 million ride at Epcot.

Last June, Daudi Bamuwamye, 4, of Sellersville, Pa., died while riding with his mother and sister. An autopsy showed that he suffered from a rare and undiagnosed enlargement of his heart.

[mushu]

Sorry for the family. A lot of poeple don't listen to the warning on the rides.

[Colorado Belle]

I agree with Viking
I also agree with gopherit. The thing is, we ALL walk around with potential clogs and aneurism 'hotspots' just waiting to happen...These hotspots can be triggered, and it seems that MS might be a trigger for some people.

The ride is just 'ok'in my book...the trade off is feeling a wee bit funny for awhile after riding for the fun and anticipation of riding. But I've been there, done that and so for me or mine...I'm just not willing to take the risk of maybe 'triggering' a hotspot.

Do I think the ride is dangerous? Not at all. If the same 'triggering' effect was reported on Rock and Roller Coaster would that stop me from riding RnR? Nope.
But MS...I don't think I need to ride that one anymore (I've ridden it maybe 10 times). So watch, I'll probably get hit by a bus the next time I go to Disney...oh dear, its in less than 2 weeks!:crazy: