5 Year Old Resuscitated After Heart Stops On Disney World Ride
If you’ve been to Disney World here in Florida, I’m sure you’ve noticed all the AED boxes located all over the park. Those can be used if a park guest needs to be resuscitated to bring their heart rhythm back to normal. Last weekend at Disney World one was needed after a 5 year old boy fell lifeless on the Guardians of the Galaxy ride.
Last Saturday, a family boarded the Guardians of the Galaxy ride at the Orlando, Florida theme park. According to the mom, less than 20 seconds into the ride, her 5 year old boy passed out and despite her efforts during the ride, she could not wake him.
At the end of the ride, the mother was screaming for help. The alert staff immediately directed them to a hallway where the mother began cpr on her young son. The staff also shocked the boy with an AED.
How the 5 Year Old Was Resuscitated
While the mother attended to her son, the father managed to find a nurse and an EMT – who continued cpr and kept the boy stable until the EMTs came and took the boy to the Emergency Room.
It was later discovered that the boy had a genetic heart disease, which presented itself at on the Disney World ride. This condition could have shown up at any time during the 5 year old’s life, but the boy was resuscitated because it happened at Disney, where there’s trained staff, a nearby AED, and other park guests willing to help. According to the mother, they had ridden the Guardians of the Galaxy ride many times before without incident.
The mother told the story of how her son was resuscitated on the Walt Disney World Tip and Tricks facebook page. Through the page they were also able to connect with the nurse and EMT who assisted with saving the boy’s life, along with “cast members who were there, firefighters who helped on site and in the ER, Ambulance drivers and EMT, and Drs who were at our first ER.”
Disney World AEDs
Disney World in Orlando, Florida has hundreds of AED devices at the park and in their hotels. Having one so close to the Guardians ride is what allowed the young boy to be resuscitated and his life saved. And I’m guessing the next time you’re at Disney, you’ll probably notice just how many of the boxes are at the park. This is why.
