Boy breaks finger, severs thumb on Disneyland's Storybook ride - AP, 3/18/05

[Darkbeer]

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/northern_california/11172587.htm

A 4-year-old boy broke a finger and severed the tip of his thumb while on the Storybook Land Canal Boats ride at Disneyland, forcing the ride to close for nearly two days while state authorities investigated the accident.

The accident occurred Wednesday when the child's fingers were pinched between the boat and the dock while passengers were unloading, according to the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

The boy was taken to a hospital, where he was treated and released.

State investigators reviewed the incident and directed the resort to lower and repair rubber bumpers along the edge of the dock and to make sure that workers announce that passengers must keep their hands and arms in the boats while docking, said Dean Fryer, a spokesman for the state safety agency. Disneyland was not required to pay any fine.

The attraction, a slow-moving boat ride that has been in operation since the mid-1950s, reopened Friday after the park made changes requested by state regulators, said Bob Tucker, a spokesman for Disneyland Resort.

And from the Orange County Register...

http://www.ocregister.com/ocr/2005/03/18/sections/local/local/article_447950.php

The boy was taken to a hospital, where he was treated and released, Disneyland Resort spokesman Rob Doughty said.

[xfkirsten]

Haven't they always said to keep your hands and arms inside the boat? :confused:

[dramaqueen]

awwwww, poor little boy- that's too bad.

[PumpkinKing!]

Hmmm strange that somethign would happen on such a kid friendly attraction. Accidents can happen anywhere I guess. Thanks Darkbeer!

Seems like Disney (Ouimet) acted rather quickly as opposed to a Pressler/Harriss era reign?

[JoeCool]

Poor boy. They tell you to keep arms and hands inside..Where were his parents?

[dramaqueen]

It sounds like an accident, plain and simple- little kids get their fingers pinched in things all the time- it's a good thing it is being treated this way and not as another Big Thunder.

[desertdweller]

That attraction has survived all these decades without any incident? Where were the parents while they were docking? Wouldn't you have him in the safety of your arms or lap? Feel sorry for the liittle boy, but really!

[Darkbeer]

I think DOSH handled it correctly, fix and expand the padding, and reinforce the requirement to "make sure hands and arms inside the boat", in fact, many parks (not just Disney) are going to prerecorded spiels for the safety speech. This way they can prove that it was worded correctly and that it was announced, even if a live CM/employee does the rest of the spiel....

And that Disney wasn't fined shows that it wasn't a major issue...

[wolfy]

Don't they say "make sure you keep hands and arms in the boat at ALL times"? I think that means when they are docking also! Gotta love the parents for this one, kids will be kids, and they should know that.

[fkurucz]

Accidents can happen anywhere I guess.

So true. Nothing is fool proof.

I know that the jet that we will be taking this coming October could crash, but the risk is so small that we will fly anyway (plus driving has its own risks).

[ah schucks]

Can I make a crack? Is it too soon to joke? Kidding

[Dirton]

Can I make a crack? Is it too soon to joke? Kidding

Yeah I was going to joke too but that poor kid, Man that's got to suck. I wonder how much disney paid them for damages?

[mamabot]

As a parent, I constantly remind my kids about Mickey Mouse's rules at Disneyland, one of the biggest rules being that they may not stick their hands out of the ride vehicle. They are not perfect, but at least they know and respect that there are rules. (Still working on them not climbing on railings. That is the thorn in my side.)

I have a habit of always being in the row behind kids who think it is fun to lean out of the IASW boats to touch the water, even when the boat is getting precariously close the the wall. For each time I have seen a kid do this, I have never seen a kid get injured.

Sad as it is that this kid got hurt, I am going to use it as a lesson for my kids. And where were the parents? Did they tell this kid to keep his hands inside the boat?

[dramaqueen]

That depends, since they weren't fined they probably won't admit fault, but I imagine they are taking care of his medical bills. Disney has a history of not paying damages unless the injury was due to a mistake made by the park. If guest negligence is any way involved they usually don't pay- can you imagine the lawsuits if they paid off everyone who got hurt?

I once had to clean up after a man who almost lost his hand on Splash Mountain- but the picture showed he was clearly at fault because his arms were hanging outside the log.

MouseTales has many incidents of injury cases at the park and how they were handled- very few have ever been settled outright.

[Bacon]

But was the dock scratched? Oh wait, that'd be the Jungle Cruise.

I hate to use the word refreshing for such an unpleasent incident, but the way it seems to have been handled IS actually quite refreshing. It seems it's a matter of, "someone's going to do something stupid/absentminded, you can't plan for everything." Investigate, make sure no CM did anything wrong, make sure everything's in working order, and get back to business. It's what should have happened with the teacups.

[Not Afraid]

But was the dock scratched? Oh wait, that'd be the Jungle Cruise.

Thank you. Now please step away from my brain.

[Cousin Orville]

This will likely get more press than some innocent Marine who gets blown to bits by a car bomb in Iraq. Very sad priorities. Poor little boy.

[cubsd]

I feel sorry for the boy, and agree his parents should have been watching him. If the parents spaced out while the ride was going on because they were enjoying it, MAYBE you could chalk it up to just an accident. But when the ride is loading/unloading, isn't that the time you pay attention to your family/group?

I know this is going to irritate some people but, I hate that ride. I don't get riding on a boat or in a train to look at dioramas of stories that either have their own attraction, or should. I know, I know, it's "for the kids". But I maintain that something that appeals to the whole family could take it's place, and after awhile, it would not be missed. They could put those dioramas into a new sit-down Character restaurant in Fantasyland.
Don't mean to de-rail this thread, but I hated that ride when I was a child. People must like it, it hasen't been closed.

[Dirton]

innocent Marine

Now I agree that a person's life is far more important, but you can't claim that he's innocent when he's in a war.

[CinderellaPrincess]

Thanks Darkbeer!
I was at the park yesterday in Fantasyland and was wondering why I saw some suits walking around the docks of the ride while it was closed.
I feel bad for the kid but he was obviously not behaving on the ride. I rack it up to parents not disciplining their kids!!!!


:botox: