http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/loc ... nes-orangeA 35-year-old woman fell and lost consciousness after getting off Mission: Space at Epcot on Monday night, authorities said.
The woman, who was described only as a "local," was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center about 8:30 p.m. by the hospital's helicopter in "serious, improving condition" authorities said.
By 11:30 p.m., Disney World officials said the woman was being "treated and released."
The woman had been getting off Epcot's 3-year-old spaceflight-simulator ride and talking to bystanders when she "fell from a standing position," hit her head and was briefly unconscious, said Deputy Chief Bo Jones of the Reedy Creek Fire Department. It's unclear why she fell, Jones said.
When rescue crews arrived, she had regained consciousness but was not completely alert and had tingling in her arms and hands, Jones said.
An ORMC helicopter landed on a pad behind The Land Pavilion at Epcot. Jones said rescue workers reported that she was becoming more alert and regaining sensation in her arms and hands as she was being flown to the hospital.
In the past three years, two people died and 12 others were hospitalized after riding Mission: Space. In May, a tamer version of the ride was introduced. Authorities did not know which version the woman rode Monday.
The new version eliminates the centrifuge element of the attraction, lessening the G-forces on the body. But it still pitches riders forward and backward, shakes, and combines audio and video virtual-reality effects.
Disney spokeswoman Jacquee Polak said Mission: Space remained open because there was no indication it had malfunctioned or needed a closer review.
Hiltrud Blumel, a 49-year-old German woman, died of a stroke after riding Mission: Space on April 11.
Daudi Bamuwamye, 4, died after going on the ride June 13, 2005. An autopsy found he had a rare heart disease.
In the 12 months after Daudi died, paramedics were called to Mission: Space to treat 194 people, according to Reedy Creek Fire Department records. The most common complaints were dizziness, nausea and vomiting. Yet 25 people passed out, 26 suffered difficulty breathing, and 16 reported chest pains or irregular heartbeats.
In the past 18 months, seven people have died at Disney World attractions, mostly because of cardiovascular problems. The most recent was a 12-year-old Kentucky boy, Michael Russell, who died after riding the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at Disney-MGM Studios. A preliminary autopsy showed he had heart defects, but the official cause of death has not been released.
Amy C. Rippel can be reached at arippel@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5736.
-Aaron
