News: Woman dies after riding Mission Space By Dan G

Apr. 12th, 2006 -- On Wednesday, Walt Disney World's Mission:Space ride claimed another death in less than a year. A 49-year-old woman from Germany died, but Disney claims that the woman had suffered from high blood pressure and other health related problems. According to a statement released late Wednesday, the woman died at Florida Hospital Celebration Health after she was taken there Tuesday because of the sickness she received from the mock space flight at Epcot. "We learned today that her condition had become very serious, and this evening we were notified she passed away," the statement said. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services stated that the park said that the woman had come off the ride and was feeling dizzy, nauseated and not feeling well. After the incident, the ride was shut down immediately, even though Disney officials reported it had been operating normally. Disney did not release the German tourist's identity or other details about the incident. When the ride opened in August 2003, concerns about the safety of the four-minute ride were raised. In June 2005, safety concerns where renewed after the death of 4-year-old Daudi Bamuwamye collapsed while riding with his mother and sister. An autopsy later showed that the child died from unrelated causes to the ride, which included a rare, undiagnosed heart disease. No timeframe was given for when the ride could re-open, but it was noted that a report on the status of the ride would not be available until at least Thursday. For more on this story, visit the Orlando Sentinel.

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