An Amusement Park Accident and a Near Miss

Anaheim, CAThere is the amusement park accident. And then there is the near-miss, where things could have gone horribly wrong. But it could have. And one incident that occurred at one of the most popular theme parks in the world illustrates that policy and protocol in the event of an emergency needs to address all persons, not just the majority.

The Orange County Register reported on February 10 with regard to an incident at Disneyland in California that saw the safety of a quadriplegic man allegedly compromised when a ride at the amusement park, known as "it's a small world," had to be stopped. When that happened, plaintiff Jose Martinez's world got a whole lot scarier.

According to media reports, the incident occurred November 27, 2009. Martinez was placed in his wheelchair in a boat, which floats through a watercourse. When a computer glitch caused the boats to stall, Disneyland Resorts implemented an evacuation procedure to remove guests from the stalled ride.

A spokesperson for Disneyland said the resort could accommodate all guests with varying needs, "including those with disability issues," said Suzi Brown, a spokesperson for the facility, in a statement. "If it is necessary to evacuate an attraction, we have procedures in place for all guests."

However, according to a Theme Parks Accident lawsuit filed by Martinez, the plaintiff was marooned in his wheelchair for 40 minutes while other guests were evacuated. His boat happened to be near the exit of the final tunnel when the attraction had to be stopped.

The wait could have cost the plaintiff his life, according to the suit—given Martinez's spinal cord injury. The Orange County Register quoted WebMD, the online medical reference site, that stress can prompt sudden high blood pressure that can lead to stroke or death in persons with spinal cord injuries. The condition is known as dysreflexia and can cause death if left untreated, according to the lawsuit filed with the help of an amusement park injury lawyer.

Martinez likened the pain to "an ice pick going through your temples."

The plaintiff indicated to Disneyland Resort officials that he needed to leave the ride immediately, but was unable to until after the ride started up again and his boat proceeded to the dock exit. Once there, he was met by a nurse who immediately administered blood pressure medicine and called paramedics.

The allegation is that while the resort can accommodate persons with special needs on some of its rides, it did not have special evacuation protocols in place that would facilitate the quick evacuation of such a person for health reasons.

Meanwhile, a horrific theme park accident that occurred in New Delhi, but could have easily occurred here, involved a 26-year-old woman who was almost scalped when her long hair became entangled in a go-kart she was piloting.

News reports indicate that Neha Walia tied her long hair into a loose bun and tucked it under her helmet—which Walia complained was too loose fitting for her to begin with. She then was prompted to sit low into her seat in order to better reach the control pedals.

Sadly, while the go-kart was engaged during her ride at an amusement park in Rohini, her bun came apart and her long hair fell out from beneath her helmet, becoming entangled in the engine and ripping two large layers of scalp epidermis. Walia required reconstructive surgery on her scalp.

It is not known if wearing a hair net and a proper-fitting helmet may have saved her from grievous injury in the Amusement Park Accident. Go-karting is equally as popular in the US.