Death on Expedition Everest

[Scar]

From: orlandosentinel.com

Autopsy: Man died from heart attack on Disney ride

Scott Powers and Christopher Boyd | Sentinel Staff Writers

1:15 PM EST, December 19, 2007

The 44-year-old man who died after suffering an apparent heart attack on Walt Disney World's Expedition Everest ride was suffering from an enlarged heart and had a history of heart arrhythmias. The District Nine Medical Examiner's Office said Jeffery C. Reeb, of Navarre, Fla., died of dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition that in this case had no known cause.

(Editor's Note: Based on incorrect information from the Orange County Sheriff's Office, the spelling of Reeb's last name was incorrect in an earlier version of this article.)

The medical examiner's office said the condition is a heart abnormality, and Reeb was considered to have died of natural causes.

Reeb was found unconscious and unresponsive when he arrived at the Expedition Everest unloading area at about 11:25 a.m. Tuesday. Disney officials said the ride was inspected and reopened late Tuesday.

According to investigators, a camera at the attraction showed Reeb conscious less than a minute before the ride ended.

The death was the first associated with the nearly 2-year-old ride and the fourth this year connected with a Disney World attraction.

Reeb was given cardiopulmonary resuscitation by a Disney employee at the scene and another visitor who was a registered nurse. Reedy Creek Emergency Services paramedics reached him in about five minutes. At about that time, the 911 caller advised the Reedy Creek dispatcher that there was no portable defibrillator around.

Reedy Creek Assistant Fire Chief Bo Jones said it would be impossible to know whether a readily available portable defibrillator would have made any difference. He said it would not have made any difference to Reedy Creek's paramedics, who carry their own.

The man had no pulse when paramedics arrived, Jones said. There was no apparent trauma and "no obvious signs of any cause," he said. Reedy Creek transported him to Florida Hospital Celebration Health, where he was pronounced dead.

Declaring that portable heart defibrillators may have saved as many as 40 lives at Disneyland and Disney World or on Disney Cruise Line ships since 650 of them were installed in 2003, the Walt Disney Co. announced just last month that it intends to install 250 more on its properties, including another 200 at Disney World. The company also has trained thousands of employees to use them.

There reportedly were at least two in Animal Kingdom on Tuesday, including one at a first-aid station on Discovery Island, a couple hundred yards away from the Everest ride, and one on a mobile cart.

Reeb'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.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office reported that Reeb appeared to be conscious about 50 seconds before the ride ended because his photograph was taken as the coaster progressed toward the unloading area. The Sheriff's Office also said investigators think the ride was operating properly.

The Sheriff's Office said Reeb was visiting Disney World with family members. Its report also indicated that no one witnessed the cardiac arrest.

A Disney spokeswoman said the company has offered Reeb's family "our deepest sympathies" and assistance.

According to Reedy Creek reports, the emergency call came in about 11:26 a.m. The first report from the caller indicated Reeb had passed out and was unresponsive. Within a minute, the dispatcher was advised that Reeb was in cardiac or respiratory arrest. Paramedics arrived about 11:31. At 11:32, the Reedy Creek report indicates, "a defibrillator (AED) is not available."

Disney World officials said the ride had been inspected Tuesday morning and was operating properly. Disney closed the ride Tuesday after the incident to reconfirm its status.

The Sheriff's Office indicated it would conduct a routine investigation to determine the cause of death. In addition, Disney advised the Florida Bureau of Fair Rides Inspection of the incident.

The death is the first associated with Expedition Everest, which opened in early 2006 as a top attraction in Animal Kingdom. The ride, which reportedly cost $100 million, includes tight twists and turns and some backward travel, but it is not a particularly fast or steep roller coaster and has no loops. The top speed has been reported at 50 mph, and the largest drop is 80 feet.

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.

"They always say, 'Don't go on this if you have a heart condition,' " Gerard said. "It's a very tragic occurrence."

The death is the fourth associated with a Disney attraction this year. Most recently, a Disney ride attendant, Karen Price, 63, died Nov. 29 after an accident in which she was struck and knocked down by a ride car at Primeval Whirl in Animal Kingdom.

[Ed]

...was suffering from an enlarged heart and had a history of heart arrhythmias. The District Nine Medical Examiner's Office said Jeffery C. Reeb, of Navarre, Fla., died of dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition that in this case had no known cause.

Still a very tragic case, but this info points out the fact that guests need to fully understand and heed the warnings posted at all of the attractions that include potentially stressful action, which includes all roller coasters.

[Tigger&Stitch]

From: orlandosentinel.com

The 44-year-old man who died after suffering an apparent heart attack on Walt Disney World's Expedition Everest ride was suffering from an enlarged heart and had a history of heart arrhythmias.

I think it is a tragedy when a person dies while on vacation, but people also need to take responsibility for their health and welfare (not to mention the potential trauma to family, CMs and other park guests). If he had a history of heart problems, he had no business on that ride.

[Polynesian Dweller]

Regardless of cause, its tragic when someone loses their life when they are supposed to be just having fun.

It is not a time to blame the victim, it is hard for anyone to know what stresses will be too much for them and we do not know what his physician may have told him. Rather it is the time for all to learn from this that the warning signs at the entrances to the attractions are not just there to protect the company from lawsuits. They are also there to warn us and protect us. If we can, some good can come out of this.

I hope the family receives all the support they will need.

[Tigger&Stitch]

It is not a time to blame the victim, it is hard for anyone to know what stresses will be too much for them and we do not know what his physician may have told him. Rather it is the time for all to learn from this that the warning signs at the entrances to the attractions are not just there to protect the company from lawsuits. They are also there to warn us and protect us. If we can, some good can come out of this.

It is not blaming the victim to point out that adults need to take responsibility for their actions. Especially when it comes to life-threatening situations. A tragedy is something that is outside one's control.

And the primary lesson I see here, is that if you have any doubt at all once reading the warning signs, don't ride the ride!!

[JPL]

While understanding it's a great tragedy and my heart really goes out to the family.
The media always likes to vilify the ride and company when something like this happens and inevitably brings up past deaths in the parks on other attractions even if they are totally unrelated. I mean the one story mentions the CM who died recently which was another tragedy but seemed to be human error the ride was not at fault.
Instead of spinning the story to help people understand the warning signs are there for a reason and urging people to get checked out before riding such attractions and taking a strenuous vacation (which going to any theme park is especially for some people) They make it seem like the company was reckless building such a ride and it is unsafe.
I would not try to blame the victim of the tragedy but will say people need know their limitations and take responsibility for their actions as well.

[snifflesmcg]

While understanding it's a great tragedy and my heart really goes out to the family.
The media always likes to vilify the ride and company when something like this happens and inevitably brings up past deaths in the parks on other attractions even if they are totally unrelated. I mean the one story mentions the CM who died recently which was another tragedy but seemed to be human error the ride was not at fault.
Instead of spinning the story to help people understand the warning signs are there for a reason and urging people to get checked out before riding such attractions and taking a stenous vacation (which going to any theme park is especially for some people) They make it seem like the company was reckless building such a ride and it is unsafe.
I would not try to blame the victim of the tragedy but will say people need know their limitations and take responsibility for their actions as well.

I feel awful that something like this happens at such a wonderful place with family during the holidays but I completely agree with this statement. I just hope the family doesn't sue as this isn't Disney's fault.

[Polynesian Dweller]

It is not blaming the victim to point out that adults need to take responsibility for their actions. Especially when it comes to life-threatening situations. A tragedy is something that is outside one's control.

And the primary lesson I see here, is that if you have any doubt at all once reading the warning signs, don't ride the ride!!

I agree with you Tigger&Stitch and was not really commenting on your post, though it could be construed that way. You are correct, that people do need to take responsbility for their actions and hopefully this incident will help get some people to take the warnings more seriously.

That was really my point. We can comment that the guy should have stayed off the ride, but the tragedy has already occurred and nobody can change that. But we can focus on others and hopefully get that message across.

[Polynesian Dweller]

While understanding it's a great tragedy and my heart really goes out to the family.
The media always likes to vilify the ride and company when something like this happens and inevitably brings up past deaths in the parks on other attractions even if they are totally unrelated. I mean the one story mentions the CM who died recently which was another tragedy but seemed to be human error the ride was not at fault.
Instead of spinning the story to help people understand the warning signs are there for a reason and urging people to get checked out before riding such attractions and taking a strenuous vacation (which going to any theme park is especially for some people) They make it seem like the company was reckless building such a ride and it is unsafe.
I would not try to blame the victim of the tragedy but will say people need know their limitations and take responsibility for their actions as well.

I also agree with this. I think most of us seem to be on the same page with this issue.

[Here we go again...]

I am one of those people that have some of the things listed on the warning sigs for all of the rides. Do I ride the rides? Of course I do! Not because I want to die or ruin any other families vacation, I do it because I am in Disney World and I want to have fun.

Some of those signs go to such extremes that I do not know if you could find a person that did NOT have something listed.

My heart goes out to the family.

But, I tell my DH the same thing every time we read something like this. If I die in Disney World, please don't be sad. When it is my time to go He will take me.... Whether I am at work, sleeping in bed, or riding E:E.

I

[DisneyDudet]

Some of those signs go to such extremes that I do not know if you could find a person that did NOT have something listed.

My heart goes out to the family.

But, I tell my DH the same thing every time we read something like this. If I die in Disney World, please don't be sad. When it is my time to go He will take me.... Whether I am at work, sleeping in bed, or riding E:E.

I

I agree with this. I have back problems. Do I ride the rides? Yes. If I end up with more back problems after a ride, then its my own fault.

My family and I have discussed the whole thing about dying at Disney. All have said that yes it would be sad to the rest of us, but to spend your last moments with your family at the most magical place in the world, I would not want to have my last breath any other way. If I am to be taken off this earth, it is due to God's will, and nothing I did or what someone else did. I will be taken when the time is right.

I am sending prayers and pixie dust to the family. It must be a difficult time to lose a loved one, with the holidays so close.

Prayers are also being said for anyone who has lost a loved one this year. May the holidays stay as bright for everyone.

[Tigger&Stitch]

But, I tell my DH the same thing every time we read something like this. If I die in Disney World, please don't be sad. When it is my time to go He will take me.... Whether I am at work, sleeping in bed, or riding E:E.

I

My family and I have discussed the whole thing about dying at Disney. All have said that yes it would be sad to the rest of us, but to spend your last moments with your family at the most magical place in the world, I would not want to have my last breath any other way.

I'm sorry, but I have to say this is incredibly selfish and doesn't take into consideration other people in the park, not to mention irresponsible. Who knows if the man on that ride also thought the same thing?

While your family may understand if you die in Disney World (perhaps on a ride you should not have ridden), but what about the CMs who have to try to revive you? Or all the people on the ride or in the queue who might see you die? Seeing someone die at an amusement park - a happy place - would be extremely traumatic for all those involved.

I understand wanting to enjoy yourself in Disney World, but it is also important to be considerate of other people, even if you don't know them.

[Ed]

Interesting commentary in this morning's Orlando Sentinel:

OrlandoSentinel.com
COMMENTARY

Deaths are not the attraction Disney needs

Mike Thomas
COMMENTARY

December 20, 2007

It is the curse of Disney.

When millions of people walk through your parks every year, it is a statistical certainty that some of them will die.

When that happens on a ride, we often tell you about it under a banner headline. It becomes a worldwide story.

But if you did the math, you would find that per capita no more people die in Disney than in any other large gathering place.

If the gathering place is I-4 or Colonial Drive, I imagine the survival rate at Disney is much better.

Disney rides no more kill people than toilet seats. In fact, the latter are much deadlier because as people age, sitting on them becomes the biggest strain in their lives. Paramedics call it a "commode code."

You cannot tone down the rides at Disney to make them safe for everyone's underlying medical defects.

A 77-year-old man died after riding Pirates of the Caribbean in 2005. And all you do there is sit in a floating cart.

Given the inevitability of failing hearts and arteries, the only issue I see here is the adequacy of Disney's response. To assess that, some quick medical background is required.

During a sudden heart attack, the heart rarely comes to a complete stop. It quivers and spasms, the victim of electrical short circuits that interrupt the standard thump-thump-thump. This is known as ventricular fibrillation.

A normal rhythm must be restored as quickly as possible to get the blood flowing again.

This is where defibrillators come in. They deliver a shock that overrides the short circuits and causes the heart to rapidly contract. It is like hitting a reset button, with the beat picking back up at a normal pace.

Thanks to technical advances, there now are defibrillators for dummies. They tell you where to put the electrodes with voice instructions. They detect whether the heart is in ventricular fibrillation. If so, they administer a shock. If that's not the problem, they do not.

You can do no harm, which is why you see them widely deployed in health clubs, airports and other public areas. CPR classes now include instructions in their use.

The goal is to make them available fast because the faster you use one, the better the odds of saving a life. Getting to someone within two or three minutes is ideal, within four or five minutes less so.

At Expedition Everest, employees had no defibrillator available when the man collapsed. It took five minutes for paramedics to arrive with one. Whether a faster response would have made a difference, nobody knows.

Disney says it has 500 defibrillators around its resort. Two are at Animal Kingdom, but not at Expedition Everest or the other rides.

In addition, each park has a team of paramedics with defibrillators.

Disney is going to add 200 additional defibrillators, mainly at the public restrooms, where it says employees and the public can easily find them.

Given what I noted above about the commode code, this would seem to make sense.

But I still don't understand why, when seconds can mean life or death, Disney won't put defibrillators at the ride exit points. Trained employees could immediately deploy them rather than having to run off into a dense crowd to the nearest restroom, or wait for paramedics.

The only explanation I can imagine is the fear this somehow would increase Disney's legal exposure.

Attracting lawsuits also is part of the Disney curse.

Mike Thomas can be reached at 407-420-5525 or [email protected].

Copyright © 2007, Orlando Sentinel

[JPL]

Just amazing the spin the Sentinel puts on things so they realize the can't blame the ride so they find another angle to blame Disney.

[brownie]

Here's something from the Associated Press:

Heart Condition Led to Disney Death
Associated Press
12/20/2007

A pre-existing heart condition caused the death of a man who was stricken while riding a Walt Disney World roller coaster, the Orange County medical examiner's office said Wednesday.

Jeffery Reeb, 44, of Navarre, was unresponsive when removed from the Expedition Everest ride at Disney's Animal Kingdom on Tuesday.

He was pronounced dead at Celebration Hospital.

Everest debuted in 2006, simulating a runaway train ride through the Himalayas.

Following Reeb's death, the ride was reopened Tuesday afternoon after an inspection found it was operating properly.

Prior to Reeb's death, at least 15 people had died at Disney's theme parks in Florida and California since 1989, some with previous health conditions.

[cgriff]

I happened to be in the final part of the line (after the Yeti museum, but right before loading) when this all happened. All of a sudden, the loud speaker told us that Everest was experiencing technical difficulties and cast members would be helping us exit the line.

Incredible and tragic, Leota. Thank you for the first hand account. What really irks me is that this person experienced a medical situation on the ride, ultimately passing away, and how many people in the line with you were complaining, cussing, or acting totally inconsiderate when told that they would have to exit the queue? I wouldn't be surprised if as many as 50% reacted in this immature manner. Like you said, they probably did not realize the gravity of the situation at the time, but regardless, so many guests it seems these days act like every little imperfect thing that occurs during a Disney stay is somehow a personal attack on them by Disney or the CMs. It's like they have some sort of entitlement complex or something... I say this based on my experience at WDW this past summer, where so many guests I encountered were inconsiderate, loud-mouthed losers, in response to what were essentially only minor inconveniences; a cash register closing, a bathroom out-of-order, someone getting seated at a restaurant before someone else. Puh-leeze... This man has just died, and others feel "put out" because their favorite ride is closed for a half-day for clean-up and an inspection? Perspective people!

Oops, sorry for the rant... probably belongs in a "bad guest behavior" thread somewhere...

cgriff

[Surfer_Clock]

My deepest sympathies go out to this man's family among the many others who've suffered such a loss. As an Attractions CM (and only recently, a Trainer), it deeply concerns me that there is such a thing as a lack of defibulators. When I go into my area tomorrow, I'm going to ask where our nearest defibulator is just in case something like that happens over here. Should there not be one nearby, I'm going to recommend to Management that we acquire one soon. Even somewhere like the Honey Playground, things like this can and do occur, and if there's even a chance we can save a life, that's something we should all be responsible for.

[thrillme]

I sorta figured it was a heart ailment. It's sad when this happens but you never really know. Just because you've had some problems in the past doesn't mean you're necessarily supposed to sit in a plastic bubble never enjoying life. It all depends on what you feel you're able to do. Sometimes getting up and moving and "LIVING" can sometimes HELP existing problems more than hurt them.

I honestly don't see why a person would necessarily pass away on a ride anymore than they would just walking around, watching fireworks. I usually feel a lot more "stress" from the overall vacation than from a particular ride. That part is the most "relaxing" for me. But then everybody's a bit different.

Neck and back problems I can see how they can be aggravated.

My heart definately goes out to this family.

[Mickey91]

I'm sorry, but I have to say this is incredibly selfish and doesn't take into consideration other people in the park, not to mention irresponsible. Who knows if the man on that ride also thought the same thing?

While your family may understand if you die in Disney World (perhaps on a ride you should not have ridden), but what about the CMs who have to try to revive you? Or all the people on the ride or in the queue who might see you die? Seeing someone die at an amusement park - a happy place - would be extremely traumatic for all those involved.

I understand wanting to enjoy yourself in Disney World, but it is also important to be considerate of other people, even if you don't know them.

I'm not exactly sure where you are going with that comment. All that was said was that for them, if you gotta go may as well be on your favorite ride . For others it may be fishing or golfing. I don't think anyone meant that they want to die on a ride. And if you want to talk about a selfish comment, once something like this does happen, it is the family that should be considered, not the other guests who have been "inconvenienced" or "traumatized".
I don't think this poor man died on purpose to be inconsiderate people in line or in the park. I'm sure he is very sorry for being so irresponsible as to die on a ride and bring down anyone's "happy" experience. That being said, I have a very nervous reaction to death and it would be terrible to experience or witness something like this. It would probably ruin my whole trip. But, that is because I would worry about the family and be sad for their loss. Not because my trip was inconvenienced. I would actually like to think that this guy did feel like it was a great way to go!

My prayers will be going out to this family. What a sad thing to happen on a happy trip and so close to Christmas.

[DisneyDudet]

I honestly don't see why a person would necessarily pass away on a ride anymore than they would just walking around, watching fireworks. I usually feel a lot more "stress" from the overall vacation than from a particular ride. That part is the most "relaxing" for me. But then everybody's a bit different.

family.

With his heart condition, times of stress, anxiety, or increased heart rate, can aggravate the condition. This problems causes the conduction system of the heart to go haywire, which is why an article above noted the benefit of difibrillators. It may never be known if the heart attack was caused by an arrhythmia, or possibly an "thrown clot", which are the usual causes of MIs. It was also found that the little boy who died on Mission Space had a similar heart condition, although undetected until his death. The heart is an amazing thing, and very complex.

The whole thing about the "commode code" does happen to some people, but I highly doubt that the placement of AEDs at restrooms are for this reason. I would think that this is so that people will see them and since restrooms are abundant at Disney, and you aren't far from one, no matter where you are, that this is their reasoning behind it. This way, a guest could get the AED, and not have to wait for a CM. AEDs can be used by anyone, but it is beneficial to have training, so that there is faster action.

It has been said on other threads that, with the amount of people that come to Disney, there will be people fall ill, and possibly there will be a casualty. It is shear numbers. This happens at malls, in airplanes, at churches (happened a few years ago on Christmas Day at mine, we had an AED). This is equally as tragic for the families involved, no matter where the event takes place, but when it happens at Disney, its big news.

As far as wanting to have your last life moments at Disney, I do not find it selfish at all. When I die, it will be very sad if it affects others, but really, my family should be the priority, among the safety of others. I am not saying that I will intentionally go pass away at Disney. You can't walk around in a bubble, protecting yourself. When it is your time to go, it will happen, no matter what you do, especially if you have beliefs in a higher being. All I am saying is, we should still take care of ourselves and monitor our health, but I believe that when our time comes, it can't be avoided.

I certainly wish the press would quit making all these things a big deal! Plus, the whole "commode code" thing was way too out there. They say that is how Elvis died. What happens is you strain, your blood pressure drops suddenly, and puts a strain on your heart, possibly causing a heart attack. In basic terms, that is your Commode Code.

I pray for this man's family.