Last week Disney’s Skyliner gondola transportation system malfunctioned, leaving passengers stranded in the air for hours. Now more details have emerged, as the 911 Call tapes have been released to the public. The release of these tapes comes at the same time the gondola transportation system is back open to the public.
Here is one of the initial transcribed 911 call recordings obtained by WESH 2 News and the Orlando Sentinel.
>> “911, what’s the location of the emergency?”
>> “We’re stuck on the Disney Skyliner. It’s going on two hours now and we’re not really, we’re getting some automated message saying that we’re moving shortly…”
While there was obvious frustration by many of the passengers about the lack of communication, more serious incidents have been captured in the 911 calls for help. One of the callers reported that a man had passed out inside of the gondola, while another caller reported a woman losing consciousness.
>> “My wife just passed out and came back … I’m just getting really concerned now, it’s near two hours … she’s breathing, she’s just in a lot of pain … oh gosh, she’s burning up,” the man told 911. “This is bad. She’s not going to last long.”
Another 911 call released reveals a child pleading for the rescue of her epileptic mother. This is reportedly the 911 call that prompted rescue efforts from the Reedy Creek Fire Department.
>> “It’s been 20 minutes up here! Please. I’m begging you!”, the child could reportedly be heard crying into the phone.
A number of passengers were hospitalized after the accident, and many of them required medical attention once help arrived. The incident occurred the night of October 5, 2019 at Disney World in Orlando, FL.
When the malfunctioned occurred, media outlets reported that it was due to a power failure. However, Disney quickly refuted these claims, saying that the malfunction was not due to lack of power. The exact cause, if known by Disney, has not been released to the public.
Florida law governs all parks within our state, which requires theme parks to report injuries on a quarterly basis. However, one major problem involves the fact that Florida law only requires theme parks report incidents that result in death or injury requiring a patient to stay overnight in a hospital. These state regulations do not go far enough in protecting the public.
Florida laws do not require the reporting of all incidents and safety hazards. So, even where a person is hurt and transported via ambulance to the emergency room, yet not admitted overnight, there is no legal requirement to report those incidents. Therefore, many incidents never get reported thereby quelling any investigation of public hazards by outside government agencies.
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Wooten, Kimbrough, Damaso & Dennis, P.A.
Our content is written and reviewed by our founding attorneys Butch Wooten, Orman Kimbrough, Mike Damaso, and Tom Dennis. Helping the injured since 1966, they’ve successfully handled thousands of personal injury cases across Florida. Whether you’re a Florida resident or an out-of-state visitor injured in Florida, we’re dedicated to providing clear and reliable information to help you navigate your legal options confidently.