A 36-year-old employee of Disney’s California Adventure is in critical
condition 28 hours after plummeting from the catwalks of the Hyperion
Theater, as of midday today.
Approximately 6:00 a.m. Tuesday, April 22, the electrician was
working on the riggings and track of the magic carpet platform
for the Aladdin show when he fell approximately 42 feet to the
seats below, according to state Division of Occupational Safety
& Health (DOSH) spokesman Dean Fryer.
According to Anaheim city public information manager John Nicoletti,
police were on the scene by 6:05 a.m., quickly followed by emergency
response crews. Medics found the victim “non-responsive” and immediately
rushed him UCI Medical Center, where he was diagnosed with massive
internal injuries.
DOSH arrived at the theater by 8:00 a.m. and, after investigating
the scene, said Disney could open the attraction. By that time,
though, workers had either been reassigned or excused from work
for the day. Performances of Aladdin resumed today, Wednesday
April 23.
According to Fryer, DOSH’s ongoing investigation will be two-fold.
“First,” he said, “was the employee provided with proper training?
Second, we will focus on the actual scene. Did the catwalk have
railings? Did [the victim] have proper fall protection equipment?
If the equipment was adequate, was it used properly?”
According to a Disney cast member, speculation among hourlies is
that the worker was wearing a safety harness, but it was not anchored
down.
