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An investigation has been launched after a woman fell to her death at Disneyland. Police were called to the Mickey and Friends parking structure on Saturday where they found a woman lying on the ground. The woman was transported to hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Newsweek reports that is unsure whether the woman fell or jumped to her death, but the parking structure has been the site of quite a few suicides in recent years, with the last being in December, when a man committed suicide by jumping to his death.
The latest incident brings the number of people who have died at the ‘Place of Dreams’ to twenty-six since it first opened its doors in 1955. And while many of these deaths were accidental, it seems the park has a darker side to the one we see on TV.
I have to admit that Disneyland has always seemed like a very creepy place to me. Perhaps it’s because I once spent a summer working on the carnival circuit and know that behind all the colourful backgrounds and twinkling lights there is often a hidden, darker layer.
Disneyland in particular has become adept at hiding the ‘behind the scenes’ from visitors. If in doubt, simply google ‘Disneyland deaths’ and be prepared to read in horror about the number of people who have been injured, maimed and killed by attractions. Most of these make news, but within days the feed moves on, and as all carnies know: the show always goes on.
Many of these incidents occur on new rides and often the cause can be attributed to sloppy construction or insufficient training of the ride operators. To this, I can attest as my stint on the midway included being asked if I can work a gear shift, and two hours later I was flinging children ten meters into the air on a ride called the Crazy Spider. We also had several bolts and pins left over after each service. These went into a box labelled ‘Oops’.
Some of the more infamous incidents will leave you doubting how much fun a fun park can be.
A ride named America Sings had only been open for a week when 18-year-old Deborah Gail Stone died. She had just graduated from Santa Ana high school and was working at Disneyland for the summer. During an intermission of the ride, she slipped or jumped between a revolving wall and a platform within the ride and was crushed between the wall and platform. The ride shut down for two days while the scene was cleaned up.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was a popular roller coaster that unfortunately derailed in 2003. a mechanical failure, due to improper maintenance, left wheel fasteners untightened. As the train entered a tunnel, the axle came loose and jammed, causing the locomotive to fly up in the air and hit the ceiling of the tunnel. It then fell on top of the first passenger car, injuring ten riders and killing one.
A 48-year-old woman was riding the Matterhorn bobsled when she was thrown from the ride. The next oncoming bobsled struck the woman and decapitated her, killing her instantly. After investigating further, it was discovered that her seatbelt was not buckled. It is unknown whether she unbuckled herself or if it malfunctioned.
Although tragic, it has to be said that there are stringent safety measures in place in most fun parks, so deaths like these are not common. But quite why so many suicides have occurred at Disneyland is a curious question. If you are interested in more disturbing Disneyland facts, check out this creepy article in Escape.
It is however a good idea to listen carefully to the instructions of the safety crew when you attend these places, and if you see a bolt lying on the ground under the Ferris wheel, please tell the operator.
He might have just forgotten to place it in the ‘Oops’ box.
[sources:newsweek&saferamerica]
