By Claudia Trotman
Copyright dailystar
A man has passed away after riding a roller coaster at one of the newest amusement parks in the world. The man, currently unnamed but known to be in his 30s, was found unresponsive after riding the coaster at Epic Universe on Wednesday, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Orlando said in a statement.
No further details were immediately released early Thursday. The cause of death is also unknown, but the theme park, which is part of Universal Studios, is open as normal. However, it is understood the ride remains closed. Universal Orlando Resorts opened the park in May. Epic Universe has five themed sections and a 500-room hotel.
The incident, which took place yesterday (September 17), occurred on the Stardust Racers roller coaster at Universal’s Epic Universe. The man was unresponsive after the ride and was subsequently transported to a hospital, where he later died, the spokesperson from The Orange County Sheriff’s Office added.
They said: “It’s very early in the investigation and we have no further information for release at this time”.
A Universal spokesperson added: “We are devastated by this tragic event and extend our sincerest sympathies to the guest’s loved ones.
“We are fully cooperating with Orange County and the ongoing investigation. The attraction remains closed.”
Stardust Racers is located in the Celestial Park portion of the park and goes up to 62 mph, according to Universal Orlando Resorts’ website, which compares the attraction to “riding a shooting star across the cosmos”.
This comes after a man tragically passed away after collapsing on the Frozen attraction at Disneyland. The 53-year-old visitor was accompanied by his spouse when she suddenly realised he had slipped into unconsciousness.
She immediately raised the alarm with staff members, prompting first aid teams to board the attraction and administer CPR. The gentleman was whisked away to hospital after being evacuated from the Hong Kong theme park, but medics declared him dead shortly afterwards.
“The resort deeply regrets the passing of the guest and will do its utmost to provide necessary assistance to his family,” a resort spokesperson said. “The initial investigation has shown the incident is not related to ride safety.”
Authorities first got wind of the tragedy at 10:18am local time. The gentleman’s wife informed officers that her husband suffered from underlying health issues, including a medical history of cardiac problems and elevated blood pressure.
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