Disney visitor collapses on water-park ride, dies: Officials say the man had a pre-existing heart problem; he fell ill at Blizzard Beach.

Byline: Pedro Ruz Gutierrez

Mar. 16--A visitor to Walt Disney World's Blizzard Beach water park collapsed of an apparent heart attack Thursday afternoon and later died at a hospital, theme-park officials said. Deputy Chief Bo Jones of the Reedy Creek Fire Department said the man began climbing the stairs of a water ride between 1 and 1:30 p.m. when "he told his wife, 'Hey, I'm not feeling too well.' " "The man turned around and said, 'I'll meet you downstairs,' " Jones said. "When he got to the bottom of the mountain, he fell and went into cardiac arrest."

Jones said the man, whom authorities would not identify Thursday night, was then pronounced dead at nearby Florida Hospital Celebration Health. Disney spokeswoman Jacquee Polak said the Disney guest and his family were on the Downhill Double Dipper water slide on Blizzard Beach. Polak said the man's family notified the company that he had died and said the man had a pre-existing heart condition. Polak said the company offered its "deepest sympathies" to the family. The death is the 10th involving Disney World rides and water-park attractions since late 2004. It was unclear Thursday night whether the man was on his first attempt to ride the Downhill Double Dipper or had gone down the slide already. The Walt Disney World Web site places the slide in the "Big Thrills" category and says visitors can "blast down the slopes at 25 miles per hour" in side-by-side speed slides.

In December, a 73-year-old man died of a heart condition three days after losing consciousness at the Magic Kingdom's Space Mountain ride. A terminally ill boy visiting from Israel also died last year after riding Space Mountain and fainting Aug. 1. However, he suffered from terminal cancer of the lungs, abdomen and spine. And in June, a 12-year-old boy died after riding a roller coaster at Disney-MGM Studios and losing consciousness. The boy had a genetic heart defect that often goes undetected until it causes the person's sudden death, according to the Orange-Osceola Medical Examiner's Office. Lynn Osgood of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report. Pedro Ruz Gutierrez can be reached at pruz@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5620.

Copyright (c) 2007, The Orlando Sentinel, Fla.

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TICKER SYMBOL(S): NYSE:DIS

Disney visitor collapses on water-park ride, dies: Officials say the man had a pre-existing heart problem; he fell ill at Blizzard Beach.

Byline: Pedro Ruz Gutierrez

Mar. 16--A visitor to Walt Disney World's Blizzard Beach water park collapsed of an apparent heart attack Thursday afternoon and later died at a hospital, theme-park officials said. Deputy Chief Bo Jones of the Reedy Creek Fire Department said the man began climbing the stairs of a water ride between 1 and 1:30 p.m. when "he told his wife, 'Hey, I'm not feeling too well.' " "The man turned around and said, 'I'll meet you downstairs,' " Jones said. "When he got to the bottom of the mountain, he fell and went into cardiac arrest."

Jones said the man, whom authorities would not identify Thursday night, was then pronounced dead at nearby Florida Hospital Celebration Health. Disney spokeswoman Jacquee Polak said the Disney guest and his family were on the Downhill Double Dipper water slide on Blizzard Beach. Polak said the man's family notified the company that he had died and said the man had a pre-existing heart condition. Polak said the company offered its "deepest sympathies" to the family. The death is the 10th involving Disney World rides and water-park attractions since late 2004. It was unclear Thursday night whether the man was on his first attempt to ride the Downhill Double Dipper or had gone down the slide already. The Walt Disney World Web site places the slide in the "Big Thrills" category and says visitors can "blast down the slopes at 25 miles per hour" in side-by-side speed slides.

In December, a 73-year-old man died of a heart condition three days after losing consciousness at the Magic Kingdom's Space Mountain ride. A terminally ill boy visiting from Israel also died last year after riding Space Mountain and fainting Aug. 1. However, he suffered from terminal cancer of the lungs, abdomen and spine. And in June, a 12-year-old boy died after riding a roller coaster at Disney-MGM Studios and losing consciousness. The boy had a genetic heart defect that often goes undetected until it causes the person's sudden death, according to the Orange-Osceola Medical Examiner's Office. Lynn Osgood of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report. Pedro Ruz Gutierrez can be reached at pruz@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5620.

Copyright (c) 2007, The Orlando Sentinel, Fla.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business

News.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

TICKER SYMBOL(S): NYSE:DIS

Disney visitor collapses on water-park ride, dies: Officials say the man had a pre-existing heart problem; he fell ill at Blizzard Beach.

Byline: Pedro Ruz Gutierrez

Mar. 16--A visitor to Walt Disney World's Blizzard Beach water park collapsed of an apparent heart attack Thursday afternoon and later died at a hospital, theme-park officials said. Deputy Chief Bo Jones of the Reedy Creek Fire Department said the man began climbing the stairs of a water ride between 1 and 1:30 p.m. when "he told his wife, 'Hey, I'm not feeling too well.' " "The man turned around and said, 'I'll meet you downstairs,' " Jones said. "When he got to the bottom of the mountain, he fell and went into cardiac arrest."

Jones said the man, whom authorities would not identify Thursday night, was then pronounced dead at nearby Florida Hospital Celebration Health. Disney spokeswoman Jacquee Polak said the Disney guest and his family were on the Downhill Double Dipper water slide on Blizzard Beach. Polak said the man's family notified the company that he had died and said the man had a pre-existing heart condition. Polak said the company offered its "deepest sympathies" to the family. The death is the 10th involving Disney World rides and water-park attractions since late 2004. It was unclear Thursday night whether the man was on his first attempt to ride the Downhill Double Dipper or had gone down the slide already. The Walt Disney World Web site places the slide in the "Big Thrills" category and says visitors can "blast down the slopes at 25 miles per hour" in side-by-side speed slides.

In December, a 73-year-old man died of a heart condition three days after losing consciousness at the Magic Kingdom's Space Mountain ride. A terminally ill boy visiting from Israel also died last year after riding Space Mountain and fainting Aug. 1. However, he suffered from terminal cancer of the lungs, abdomen and spine. And in June, a 12-year-old boy died after riding a roller coaster at Disney-MGM Studios and losing consciousness. The boy had a genetic heart defect that often goes undetected until it causes the person's sudden death, according to the Orange-Osceola Medical Examiner's Office. Lynn Osgood of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report. Pedro Ruz Gutierrez can be reached at pruz@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5620.

Copyright (c) 2007, The Orlando Sentinel, Fla.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business

News.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

TICKER SYMBOL(S): NYSE:DIS

Disney visitor collapses on water-park ride, dies: Officials say the man had a pre-existing heart problem; he fell ill at Blizzard Beach.

Byline: Pedro Ruz Gutierrez

Mar. 16--A visitor to Walt Disney World's Blizzard Beach water park collapsed of an apparent heart attack Thursday afternoon and later died at a hospital, theme-park officials said. Deputy Chief Bo Jones of the Reedy Creek Fire Department said the man began climbing the stairs of a water ride between 1 and 1:30 p.m. when "he told his wife, 'Hey, I'm not feeling too well.' " "The man turned around and said, 'I'll meet you downstairs,' " Jones said. "When he got to the bottom of the mountain, he fell and went into cardiac arrest."

Jones said the man, whom authorities would not identify Thursday night, was then pronounced dead at nearby Florida Hospital Celebration Health. Disney spokeswoman Jacquee Polak said the Disney guest and his family were on the Downhill Double Dipper water slide on Blizzard Beach. Polak said the man's family notified the company that he had died and said the man had a pre-existing heart condition. Polak said the company offered its "deepest sympathies" to the family. The death is the 10th involving Disney World rides and water-park attractions since late 2004. It was unclear Thursday night whether the man was on his first attempt to ride the Downhill Double Dipper or had gone down the slide already. The Walt Disney World Web site places the slide in the "Big Thrills" category and says visitors can "blast down the slopes at 25 miles per hour" in side-by-side speed slides.

In December, a 73-year-old man died of a heart condition three days after losing consciousness at the Magic Kingdom's Space Mountain ride. A terminally ill boy visiting from Israel also died last year after riding Space Mountain and fainting Aug. 1. However, he suffered from terminal cancer of the lungs, abdomen and spine. And in June, a 12-year-old boy died after riding a roller coaster at Disney-MGM Studios and losing consciousness. The boy had a genetic heart defect that often goes undetected until it causes the person's sudden death, according to the Orange-Osceola Medical Examiner's Office. Lynn Osgood of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report. Pedro Ruz Gutierrez can be reached at pruz@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5620.

Copyright (c) 2007, The Orlando Sentinel, Fla.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business

News.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

TICKER SYMBOL(S): NYSE:DIS