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AVP
03-17-2005, 02:54 PM
A 4-year old child was injured yesterday during an evacuation of the Storybook Land Canal Boats attraction at Disneyland. Dean Fryer, spokesperson for the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health told MousePlanet that the accident occured around 11:00 am as the boat was docked in the unload area.

A preliminary report indicates that the child's fingers were hanging over the side of the boat when an adult passenger stepped off the boat, causing the boat to rock. The child's fingers were caught between the boat and the dock, breaking one finger and severing the tip of one thumb.

The ride remains closed while DOSH and Disneyland continue their investigation. Spokesperson Rob Doughty issued a prepared statement from the Disneyland Resort. "At approximately 11:00 am yesterday at 4-year old injured his thumb in the Storybook Land dock area. The child was taken to a local hospital where he was treated and released."

I Heart Disneyland!
03-17-2005, 02:59 PM
YIKES! That poor child. :( What a horrible thing to have happen at DL of all places. :( I get she/he gets free APs for life. (Or should!)

HorizonsA
03-17-2005, 03:00 PM
Please remain seated with HANDS, ARMS, FEET and LEGS inside the boast AT ALL TIMES.

Not to be mean, but his hands shouldn't have been over the side anyway.

At least we now know that they don't say those spiels for the heck of it.

mystycalchyk
03-17-2005, 03:02 PM
:( I get she/he gets free APs for life. (Or should!)


I dont get this.

Why should she? Its not Disneylands fault that she didnt keep her hands in the boat. Her parents should have been paying attention.

Now if the boat sunk...sure thing....Disneylands fault. But this? no way.

AVP
03-17-2005, 03:02 PM
I have a statement from Rob Doughty, spokesperson for the Disneyland Resort.

"At approximately 11:00 am yesterday at 4-year old injured his thumb in the Storybook Land dock area. The child was taken to a local hospital where he was treated and released." Disneyland confirms that the accident was reported to DOSH, and that the ride is closed while the investigation continues.

Disneyphile
03-17-2005, 03:03 PM
*sigh* Can't wait to see the lawsuit on this one......

Why don't they just change the safety spiels to "Keep your *and your children's* arms, legs, fingers, appendages inside the boat/car at all times."

Sorry. I hate to see this when this attraction has been accident-free all this time. And now, I'm betting a stupid lawsuit will require that the ride be shut down for awhile until "collapsable" bumpers or something are installed on the docks. Better yet - I think all guests should just have to be bubble-wrapped at the gates so they no longer have to be responsible for their own appendages. :rolleyes:

mystycalchyk
03-17-2005, 03:04 PM
Better yet - I think all guests should just have to be bubble-wrapped at the gates so they no longer have to be responsible for their own appendages. :rolleyes:

:rolleyes: exactly

cstephens
03-17-2005, 03:06 PM
I get she/he gets free APs for life. (Or should!)

I disagree vehemently. I'm sorry for the child as I can imagine how traumatic an experience it must have been, and as a gesture of good will, maybe Disneyland refunded the day's admission or will give them comp tickets, but in no way do I think Disney is obligated to compensate the child or the family for an accident that was in no way (based on what has been reported on this thread so far) Disney's fault. And it might not even really be the parents' fault, depending on what's going on. Kids do things, sometimes really quickly, more quickly than a parent can put a stop to. Sometimes, accidents just happen, and while the consequences might be unfortunate, it just might not be anyone's "fault".

Niwel
03-17-2005, 03:06 PM
And somewhere out there Charles Darwin is saying "I told you so..." Another guest who decides NOT to pay attention to their child. Disney should countersue for stupidity (is that a legal term)?

mbrady
03-17-2005, 03:08 PM
And is there even anything more that could be done to prevent this sort of thing? It would be almost impossible it seems, or at least highly inconvenient.

Time for over-the-shoulder restraints for the Sorybook boats I guess! :-)

Earkid
03-17-2005, 03:09 PM
I think all guests should just have to be bubble-wrapped at the gates so they no longer have to be responsible for their own appendages. :rolleyes:I'm imagining horrendously loud popping sounds all day, all over the park. :eek: :D

Arnie
03-17-2005, 03:09 PM
Maybe thats why the tell everyone to stand up when they go to start unloading the boat.

MsYumiBr
03-17-2005, 03:13 PM
And somewhere out there Charles Darwin is saying "I told you so..." Another guest who decides NOT to pay attention to their child. Disney should countersue for stupidity (is that a legal term)?

Disney doesn't have to. Orange County CPS is very aggressive. I'm sure there's a *case* open as we speak.

HorizonsA
03-17-2005, 03:17 PM
If the family over exxagerates and DOSH makes them do something, they might just change the loading from a Jungle Cruise style to a Small World/Pirates style loading where the boat would come to a stop by motors instead of a CMs doing it.

I'll laugh if there is a lawsuit. What will they say? "Disney should do something to prevent this from happening."? THEY ALREADY DO! They have signs, PA systems, the CMs themselves saying to keep all body parts INSIDE the boats at ALL times and to remain seated till the boat comes to a complet stop and you are asked to disembark.

VickiC
03-17-2005, 03:27 PM
Folks it was an accident! Kids do stupid things and you can't watch every single one of their parts every single second of the day. Isn't it possible it was not the parents' fault OR Disney's fault?

mystycalchyk
03-17-2005, 03:30 PM
Of course...thats the point. We're just saying that it most certainly is not Disney's fault.

DisneyDustin22
03-17-2005, 03:44 PM
Folks it was an accident! Kids do stupid things and you can't watch every single one of their parts every single second of the day. Isn't it possible it was not the parents' fault OR Disney's fault?


I agree. Although not knowing the exact nature of the accident, but it seems like you have an anxious child, and a grown adult trying to exit the ride. Now you can't expect that adult to have been thinking to himself/herself, "gee, i hope no kids fingers are on the side of the boat as I exit" come on. Sounds more to me like an accident with no one to blame. Just a case of wrong place, wrong time.

lisap
03-17-2005, 03:45 PM
I've been on a Storybook boat where a kid's finger was crushed between the boat and the dock. He was an older child (over ten) who just didn't pay attention to where his fingers were gripping the side of the boat. Luckily it was just for an instant, and he did not require any medical attention--however he screamed loudly in pain all throughout the ride. His dad kept repeating "you should have paid attention when they told you to keep your hands inside the boat!!"

Accidents happen.

bradk
03-17-2005, 03:47 PM
what's missing from all this is i'm positive disney treated the child and his family very nicely all things considered. the child probably got taken right to the emergency room, treated immediately, and escorted back in the park all in less time than the waits for some rides.

i wouldn't be surprised if there were red cards (or whatever they are) given to the family either upon their return either.

not that disney would have to of course, but it's a good defense. there's no way they'd back down from a lawsuit like this if one were to arise (and no doubt they'd win, but it'd be very costly just the same). and of course a happy customer is a returning customer.

I Heart Disneyland!
03-17-2005, 04:38 PM
I dont get this.

Why should she? Its not Disneylands fault that she didnt keep her hands in the boat. Her parents should have been paying attention.
.


Just my thought. If it's an accident, which it sounds like it is, then maybe they don't deserve compensation. That was just my first response to it. :)

SCUBAbe
03-17-2005, 05:30 PM
after reading through this I had a question. On some rides it says to keeop your hands armsd and legs inside the vechicle at all times and keep an eye on your children. Does this ride have that? I know some did, because I could NOT believe they actually had to remind epople to be parents at the park....

Emma
03-17-2005, 05:41 PM
It's a FOUR YEAR OLD!!!

Sue for stupidity? Kids stick their hands places. A parent can't watch their 4 year old's hands EVERY minute.

It has occurred to me before on SBLCB with Annabelle that it would be very easy for someone's hand to be crushed on that loading dock, the way the boats bump into it. Maybe Disney should put some padding there to avoid an accident like this again.

Obviously, it was an accident, and Disney shouldn't have to pay millions of dollars for it, but I hope they will pay for the child's medical costs.

This isn't one of those things where a kid fell into the water, didn't get hurt, but sued for emotional damage. The kid got hurt. He's 4.

If it happened to my child, I wouldn't sue Disney. Accidents happen. But don't call the kid (or his parents) stupid.

--Emma

Crazy4DL
03-17-2005, 05:50 PM
Sounds like a very unfortunate accident to me. We have no idea if the parents just turned away for a minute - that is all it takes - for goodness sake. It is not as though it was reported the child was off running loose in the park or anything. The parents are probably good people/parents and are sick at heart their child was hurt. The child is four and even at my grand old age of 51 I can see myself forgetting to keep my hands in - not like in dragging my hands in the water but in gripping the side if the boat rocked - which it does as you pull up to disembark - so please assume that the little one wasn't not listening or misbehaving but just forgetting. I am sure we have all had accidents where we go - dang that was dumb if I had only . . . Hopefully most of our accidents aren't life threatening. Here's to hopeing the little one and her parents are okay AND that DL doesn't have to take the Storybook's offline for too long. Love that ride.

tinafromidaho
03-17-2005, 06:06 PM
How terrible for the little boy and his family. I remember seeing a 20/20 show or something about a little boy who had his foot hanging outside of a ride while waiting to off load and when the ride moved forward his foot was crushed and almost severed. I am spastic about where my kids legs feet arms fingers and toes are. But I agree kids do stuff like that all the time no matter how closely they're watched. It's unfortunate but that's the way it is.

MrsPooh
03-17-2005, 06:24 PM
so please assume that the little one wasn't not listening or misbehaving but just forgetting

I am thinking we can't even say forgetting, as we are talking about a 4 year old (but I know what you mean! ;) ) They can't retain very much information just because of their age and mental capacity. He was probably just hanging out, thinking about what he has been seeing and doing all day. Even sensory overload. How much responsibility can they lay on a 4 year old anyhow? Seriously?

Poor little guy. No one's fault, just a sad accident. Hope he doesn't forever connect DL with pain! :crying:

BTW, rrazey, great avatar! What a cutie! :)