Cast Member suffers head injury at AK

[peaches magee]

Orlando Sentinel:

A worker at Disney's Animal Kingdom suffered a head injury that required him to be airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center this afternoon.

The accident occurred at the Primeval Whirl ride in the DinoLand U.S.A. section, said Bo Jones, assistant chief of Reedy Creek Emergency Services.

Jones said his department responded to the accident scene and then called for the Air Care Team at ORMC to fly the injured man downtown. The man, who was not identified, was reportedly in critical condition.

The cause of the accident was not immediately clear, Jones said.

The Primeval Whirl — described as a mild roller coaster by Disney — is closed for maintenance, he added, so no Disney guests were in the area at the time of the accident.

Disney spokesman Zoraya Suarez said tonight that "right now our concern is for our cast member." She added that Disney staff was at the hospital with the man's family.

Suarez said the accident was under review but that she had no immediate information about what had happened.

In 2008, federal investigators charged Disney with five safety violations and fined the company more than $21,000 for a fatal accident at the Primeval Whirl ride a year earlier.

In that November 2007 accident, ride attendant Karen Price, 63, was working on an elevated rider-loading platform when she was struck by a ride vehicle and knocked to the ground. She hit her head and died five days later.

After that accident, the company renovated the rider-loading platform so that sensors could shut down the ride if someone entered a particular area.

[CueLannoo]

My thoughts and prayers are with the cast member and thier family

[1rocky]

Also thoughts and prayers with the cast member and their family

[Joy_C]

Sending pixie dust to the CM...

The Primeval Whirl may be a "mild roller coaster" but jerky movements in the ride can really do some damage.

....unfortunately the CM has passed away, according to Foxnews.

[Computer_boy]

Sending pixie dust to the CM...

The Primeval Whirl may be a "mild roller coaster" but jerky movements in the ride can really do some damage.

....unfortunately the CM has passed away, according to Foxnews.

Aww. My thoughts are with their family. Can't imagine what their going through

[minniemose35]

My prayers go out to his family.

[gamecocksc17]

prayers are up for this cm.

maybe whirl is cursed??
rarely do you hear about two workers getting hurt on the same attraction. they usually take great caution after one accident.

[peaches magee]

So sad Strange is happened while under maintainence too.

Orlando Sentinel:

A Disney worker injured Sunday while repairing the Primeval Whirl ride died early today, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said.
The worker, identified as 52-year-old Russell Sherry Roscoe, suffered massive head injuries Sunday while working on the ride at Disney's Animal Kingdom and he was airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center, the Sheriff's Office said.
He died at ORMC this morning. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Monday opened an investigation into the accident.

Disney has not released details of what Roscoe, who lived in Sumter County, and his co-workers were doing at the time of the accident.
Roscoe was working on a part of the roller coaster ride known as "The Little Dip," according to a 911 call released by Reedy Creek Fire District, Walt Disney World's municipal fire department.

"We need somebody right now," a co-worker told a 911 dispatcher. "One of our maintenance guys got hit by a moving vehicle…He got in the way of a moving vehicle."
Roscoe, who suffered a massive head injury, was given first-aid care by his co-workers as they waited for Reedy Creek paramedics to reach the accident.
"We're trying to keep him conscious," the unidentified co-worker told 911, before calling out encouragement to Roscoe. "Stay conscious, please!...Stay with us…Stay with us, man!"
The ride was closed for previously scheduled maintenance at the time of the accident, which occurred out of view of theme-park patrons.

"Our Walt Disney World community has experienced a tragic loss," Walt Disney World President Meg Crofton said in a statement. "We extend our heartfelt condolences to Russ Roscoe's family and we are working to assist them during this difficult time; our thoughts and our prayers are with them."
Crofton added, "There is no higher priority than the safety of our cast and our guests, and we will work with authorities to thoroughly review every aspect of this incident."
The death is the second associated with the ride.

In November 2007, Disney worker Karen Price, 63, was working on an elevated rider-loading platform when she was struck by one of the roller coaster vehicles. She died five days later.
After Price's death, Disney renovated the Primeval Whirl ride and installed sensors to prevent a similar accident from happening in the same area of the ride.
In 2008, federal investigators faulted Disney for five safety violations and fined the company $21,000 for the accident that caused Price's death.

[nickalew]

That truly is sad...condolences to his family...

[Stitch626]

Truly sad...our prayers go out to that cast member who is now truly in the best place living in his own disney world also prayers for the family and friends.