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Accident at Disneyland Paris

Beans

Beans

Hyper Poster
Just seen this post on Facebook from the park
Don't think I can see it elsewhere.

Disneyland® Paris


We are deeply saddened by the accident that took place this afternoon in Pirates of the Caribbean.
Our emergency teams were immediately on the scene to provide first aid to the 5-yaear old child. Throughout this difficult situation, our teams are accompanying the child and his family in order to offer any assistance necessary.
Safety is our utmost concern and we are working in close partnership with the authorities to understand what happened. The attraction remains closed until further notice.
 
Re: Disneyland Paris

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... Paris.html

A five-year old boy was “in a critical condition” after an accident at Disneyland Paris — Europe’s top tourist attraction.

The accident occurred when the child fell out of a boat in the amusement park’s Pirates of the Caribbean attraction.

Anna Chazareix, the officer in charge of the investigation, said the boy, "accompanied by his father, lost his balance when the boat was arriving at the end of the ride".

He "fell and found himself stuck under the boat" in the water, she added, before his father and others pulled him out.
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Re: Disneyland Paris

So was the boat in the station, or did he stand up as the boat was moving? Because if it was arriving, why was the kid standing in the first place?
 
I think maybe his boat had stopped. He got up from his seat in the back row, lost his balance, and fell in behind the boat. Then another boat arrived and he briefly got trapped/crushed under it.

That's how I understood it at least...
 
So...... Soon to have lapbars then?

I also wonder if they made everyone go away before the medical team arrived so as not to "spoil the magic". I'm still deeply disgusted that they didn't take off Smee's head when he collapsed during the parade in front of our group last year so as not to ruin the illusion, the man could have been dying.

All of his colleagues had to keep pretending nothing had happened and clearly were not allowed to tend to him for the 5 minutes it took for first aid to arrive. Nor were guests allowed to assist. Absolutely pathetic.
 
nealbie said:
So...... Soon to have lapbars then?
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Good question. This ride type has been going for 50-odd years all around the world - if this is the first accident of this kind that's an incredibly good safety record. And yet, this could have been even more serious...
 
Lapbars might not have helped. If he fell over backwards while he was getting off at the right time, he'd have already been out of restraints.
 
nealbie said:
So...... Soon to have lapbars then?

I also wonder if they made everyone go away before the medical team arrived so as not to "spoil the magic". I'm still deeply disgusted that they didn't take off Smee's head when he collapsed during the parade in front of our group last year so as not to ruin the illusion, the man could have been dying.

All of his colleagues had to keep pretending nothing had happened and clearly were not allowed to tend to him for the 5 minutes it took for first aid to arrive. Nor were guests allowed to assist. Absolutely pathetic.
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That was horrid when that happened, even I did not laugh.
 
Ugh that's vile.

My first guess, based on experience observing guests and how often this happens, is that the child was probably standing on the seat assisted by a parent holding it upright. And in such situations, no amount of "sit down please, sit down, stay seated" helps. Parents give you that "it's okay, I've got them" look, unaware that boats touch one another causing a slight jolt. Or, worse, the possibility that something could possibly go wrong and cause the boats to full on crash or the conveyor to just stop abruptly or an earthquake to shake the building.

It's possible it happened when unloading, and I can't imagine off the top of my head what a Pirates station is like. If the boats STOP in the station one at a time and are not a continuous stream of boats, I find it unlikely that this is the case. "Trapped under the boat" could mean anything, maybe the mechanism that holds the boats still in the loading area caught their clothes when it rose up? I don't know the mechanics of it.

In response to the comment about maintaining the magic/illusion thing, to be fair in an emergency like this you want to get people the **** away so you they don't panic and put themselves in danger or worsen the situation for those in danger. In a situation like the parade incident, that's just deeply sick.
 
I saw a tweet last night saying the little boy is Ok now.

In my mind there are two things that could have happened. He either got up in the station and lost his balance or he got up on the ramp up into the station (one boat pauses on the ramp and one behind tends to bump into it) which is when the parents should have been trying to make sure he stayed sitting down and a boat hit causing him to fall.

Either way it's not good that it happened but in no way should the park be blamed. As previously pointed out, this ride type has been around for over 50 years and this is possibly one of the first incidents like this to occur.

It's a shame they've closed the ride for the time being, especially as today is like the day they have a sold out special event.
 
Glad he is ok. Can't help but blame the parents here though, whatever happened the kid shouldn't have been standing until the boat was completely stopped in the station. If the parents let him stand its their fault.

Can't see this meaning there will now be lap bars. Every PoTC and Small World has the same ride system and this has never happened before.
 
If you read the article/my comment above, I'm pretty sure the boats didn't touch, as there much have been a gap big enough for him to get trapped in.
 
Theme Park Insider seems to have an eye-witness account:

"I was there with my son in the boat at the front of the docking area when the boy fell in. We had already moved off past the gates and into the ride and had to tight rope walk back up the wood fencing to get back onto the platform. It took six people to lift the boat off the boy. It is unclear whether he fell off at the front of the boat that was lifted (this boat was still on the tunnel before the exit platform or whether he fell off the back of the one just coming into the exit platform. In either case it appeared that the child should not have been standing to get off the ride yet in either case and I can not see how the ride or the staff were at fault. They acted extremely quickly and calmly, they got him out as fast as they could and administered first aid with medics arriving asap. I really hope the little boy pulls through but it really is a lesson to us all to be vigilant to our children's actions even second guessing what they are going to do next. The tragic events of yesterday are a lesson to us all, my thought and prayers go out to the little boys family and the staff of the ride."
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