Guest dies on Expedition Everest
In horrible news, a 44-year old man named Jeffrey Reed died yesterday on Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom of a cardiac arrest. According to the report in today’s Orlando Sentinel, there was not a portable heart defibrillator available in the emergency. This is something that has been an issue in such situations in the past.
Reed’s death is not the first associated with an apparent heart attack at a Disney theme-park location lacking a defibrillator since the company began its program. In 2005, a 4-year-old boy with an undetected heart disease died of a heart attack after riding the Mission: Space ride at Epcot. The family sued, and one of the allegations was that Disney had not placed a defibrillator near enough to that ride. Disney and the family eventually settled the lawsuit for undisclosed terms.
Does this mean that Disney World carries some responsibility here? I am not a judge so I will leave that to others to opine on. But it does seem strange that such a device would not be readily available at the most intense attraction on property. Honestly, to read this is very disappointing. I would think this would not have been an issue.
The story also goes into whether or not Expedition Everest is really intense enough to cause such a terrible event…
John Gerard, a spokesman for the American Coaster Enthusiasts, a club for roller-coaster fans, described Expedition Everest as a “mildly thrilling roller coaster with some exciting elements, but it’s obviously not one of the most intense roller coasters in the world.”
Gerard, who is a medical doctor in San Diego, said he did not think the ride would be intense enough to cause a heart attack under normal circumstances. But he said certain pre-existing health conditions such as heart disease can entirely change the level of risk.
While this may be true, it doesn’t address the issue of not having the defibrillator available in an emergency. As we know, many heart conditions can be unknown to those who have them and even a mildly intense ride such as this can trigger something terrible.
The thoughts and sympathies of the entire Mouse Extra team go out to the family of Mr. Reed.
Jason said,
December 20, 2007 @ 4:22 pm
It’s too bad this happened. But I agree that there should have been an adequate number of defibrillator’s. With only 2 in the park, the nearest one to Everest could be a ways away. They should have at least 1 for every land just in case.
The Disney Hub Blog
mbmmcbride@embarqmail.com said,
December 20, 2007 @ 4:48 pm
I basically agree with Jason on this. But the fact remains that individuals are responsible for themeselves. Did this gentleman know he had a condition, then he certainly took the risk unto himself. The warnings are certainly there, but perhaps there should be more equipment distributed throughout the park.
Randy said,
December 20, 2007 @ 5:24 pm
I don’t know how much they cost, but I think that there should be one stationed at every “thrill” ride.
Shannon said,
December 20, 2007 @ 6:26 pm
The industry standard is that an AED should be able to be brought to the scene within three minutes of a victim’s collapse. That being said, even one AED in every land may not be enough to meet that standard. Two in the entire park definitely doesn’t.
Mouse Extra said,
March 5, 2008 @ 2:53 pm
[...] don’t mean to sound like a cynic here, but this is starting to concern me. Back in December, a guest died on Expedition Everest of a heart attack and people questioned whether Disney had properly placed defibrillators in case of [...]