Man 'too heavy to ride waterslides' sues Disney over 'catastrophic injuries'
A man is suing Disney World after allegedly suffering "catastrophic injuries" while riding down a waterslide at "exhilarating speeds" despite exceeding the weight limit.
Eugene Strickland launched a lawsuit against Disney on Thursday in Florida and is demanding more than £36,000 after accusing the theme park of negligence. Mr Strickland, who weighed 24 stone, chose to ride the slide despite the American Society for Testing and Materials recommending no one over 21 stone should use single-rider waterslides.
In the lawsuit, Mr Strickland claims he was visiting the Blizzard Beach water park on July 31, 2021, when he decided to get on the Downhill Dipper waterslide, which is described as a "high-speed" thrill ride that allows guests to race side-by-side, according to Disney's website. During the ride, guests "disappear into a black hole and plummet 50 feet downhill at exhilarating speeds."
Mr Strickland's lawyers said he "became momentarily airborne as a result of the ride's 'exhilarating speeds' and design, resulting on Disney's inner tube becoming forcibly, suddenly, and unexpectedly dislodged from underneath Plaintiff s body, causing the Plaintiff to land with force onto the hard plastic surface of the slide, sustaining permanent catastrophic injuries as a result.'
The lawsuit also claims the inner tube Mr Strickland used was defective and the theme park had allegedly used "deficient/inadequate/ ineffective underinflated inner tubes to be utilised on the premises knowing that they could forcefully dislodged from under the patrons relying on them."
'These injuries are permanent and continuing within a degree of medical probability, and Plaintiff will suffer these losses in the future,' Mr Strickland's lawyers wrote in the lawsuit.
The defendant claims Disney knew of the 'dangerous condition' of the ride which was a 'safety hazard.' It led to him suffering 'scarring [and] disfigurement,' according to the lawsuit.
In a statement on behalf of Mr Strickland, his lawyers said: 'Our client was severely injured on a ride at Disney's Blizzard Beach. He has filed a lawsuit alleging that it was the defendant's lax safety measures and oversight that contributed to those injuries. We are pursuing justice for him and working to hold Disney accountable for their alleged negligence.'
The case is scheduled for a jury trial beginning in May 2027, according to court documents.
It comes after a mum is suing Disney for nearly £2million, after she claims she was permanently scarred by a "mammoth" wave at the resort's Typhoon Lagoon.
The lawsuit claims she was "pummeled" by the wave as she grabbed her daughter from a water slide in the children's area of Magic Kingdom. Kimberly Panetta, 45, alleges she was 'violently struck by a sudden and forceful wave,' according to her Brooklyn Federal Court lawsuit.
'It was so powerful it was actually dragging us under the water for several feet,' Panetta told The Post of the April 2022 incident. 'I just thank God I had the sense to push her above as I was getting dragged. I knew if she was the one getting dragged she would have been cut all over.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Scottish Sun
My stalker was inspired by Netflix show to kidnap & chain me to wall in torture chamber… I struck dark deal to survive
When twisted Christopher Thomas was finally caught he took extreme action to conceal evidence CHILLING PLOT My stalker was inspired by Netflix show to kidnap & chain me to wall in torture chamber… I struck dark deal to survive Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) WAKING to a creaking floorboard in her bedroom, Samantha Stites was about to reach for a small axe hidden under her bed when she was suddenly attacked. Intruder Christopher Thomas gagged her, tied her up and bundled her into a car before driving her to a bunker in a storage unit - where he kept her chained to a wall. 14 Samantha Stites bravely shares her ordeal in a new documentary Credit: Supplied 14 Christopher Thomas spent 11 years stalking Samantha Credit: Supplied 14 Samantha with Thomas at college, where they first met as students Credit: Netflix But this horrific kidnap, in October 2022, was no random attack. Thomas had been stalking Samantha for over a decade, after becoming obsessed with her when they first met at Grand Valley State University in Michigan in 2011. And his terrifying plot to kidnap, rape and murder her was inspired by watching hit Netflix show You, which saw its deranged main character Joe Goldberg, played by Penn Badgley, torture women in a glass box hidden in the basement of his New York bookshop. Recalling the horrifying moment Thomas forced her into a custom-built soundproof bunker in a rental storage unit, Samantha said: 'He takes off my bandana, I'm in this torture chamber. 'Holy s***, this is like a horror film. Is he going to rape me and kill me in this room? I can't fight my way out.' Samantha had to summon every ounce of strength to survive and escape. Fighting for her life, she was eventually forced to strike a dark deal - to have sex with her sick captor in return for her freedom. In a gripping three-part Disney+ documentary Samantha bravely shares her story for the first time, recounting years of fear and astonishing resilience. Featuring never-before-seen police interview footage, CCTV surveillance from the storage unit and disturbing images and videos recovered from Thomas' phone, Stalking Samantha also includes powerful testimony from her friends and the investigators who helped bring her attacker to justice. Thomas's dark obsession took hold the moment he laid eyes on her, 11 years before the attack. Obsessed stalker faked pregnancy, swerved car into ex & bombarded him with messages in relentless campaign of harassment 14 Samantha recalls the terrifying moment she was bundled into the bunker Credit: Netflix 14 Penn Badgley plays deranged stalker and murderer Joe Goldberg in You - the show that inspired Thomas Credit: CLIFTON PRESCOD/NETFLIX After their first meeting Samantha turned down repeated requests for dates, but he refused to take no for an answer and became increasingly persistent. Several years older than her and socially awkward, Thomas bombarded Samantha with lengthy emotionally charged messages, insisting: 'I want you to be part of my life.' He nicknamed her Jellybean and quoted passages from the Bible, suggesting their relationship was God's plan. She said: 'Every time I saw him I was more and more scared.' Her former roommate Charissa Hayden explained: 'He was a nobody, a sad, lonely guy. She felt sorry for him and was nice to him. He took that and ran away with it.' Samantha's childhood friend Patrick Bruening added: 'He showed up with flowers at her work and I thought that was a huge red flag. "He thought he was her knight in shining armour. Not at all - he was creepy.' Every time I saw him I was more and more scared Samantha Stites Although pathetic Thomas continued to harass Samantha, she ignored him for months until she finally snapped one day when he approached her at a bus stop. 'On the inside I was flaming mad, the angriest I've been because I thought we were past all this,' she recalled. She told Thomas: 'I've told you I don't want to see you, I don't want to speak to you, I don't want flowers, just leave me alone. 'I've told you multiple times, I've blocked you. I don't want to see you, I don't want to talk to you." She adds: 'I think he was surprised that I wasn't flattered. But he knows very clearly what my wishes are and doesn't care.' Another friend, Robin Trierweiler, said: 'All I wanted to do was shake her and say please take care of yourself. 'It seems like she's in danger and it's frustrating to watch her downplay that. It's not a normal situation, it's a hazard.' Drastic action 14 Samantha, right, was a happy-go-lucky teenager before she met Thomas Credit: Netflix 14 Thomas caught on camera outside Samantha's home Credit: Netflix After graduating from college, Samantha returned to her home town of Elk Rapids, a small close knit community, where she thought the ordeal was behind her. But soon Thomas turned up there too, and even applied for the same internship she was starting. 'I just feared that I would never be free of him,' she said. 'I felt scared and threatened.' When he was spotted coming out of her apartment in 2016, Samantha took drastic action and applied for a personal protection order - banning him from all contact. Judge Norman Hayes, who granted the order for six years, recalled: 'I was really concerned. I've never seen a stalking case as severe as this. 'He was obsessed, absolutely obsessed with her. He's going to do something very severe - either rape, kill her or kidnap her. I was really concerned. I've never seen a stalking case as severe as this... He's going to do something very severe - either rape, kill her or kidnap her Judge Norman Hayes 'At the time it was the longest personal protection order I had ever granted.' With Thomas legally banned from making contact, Samantha's life gradually returned to normal. She trained as a social worker and bought a house, but in September 2022 - as soon as the restraining order expired - she spotted Thomas lurking as she played football. 'I stopped dead in my tracks,' said Samantha. 'I worry that he's coming after me in a vengeful way wanting to hurt me for denying him all those years ago.' Thomas also joined Samantha's gym and football league, but technically he had not done anything wrong and her request for another personal protection order was denied. Gagged and bound 14 The storage unit where he intended to keep his victim for two weeks Credit: Netflix 14 The bunker inside the storage unit where Samantha was held Credit: Netflix 14 Cuffs found by police while gathering evidence against Thomas Credit: Netflix Lying in bed in the early hours of 7 October 2022, Samantha jumped as she heard a floorboard creak. 'My heart starts racing, my mind shoots to the hatchet I kept under my mattress,' she said. 'In a second somebody storms into my room and jumps on to me. I start screaming and I feel his hands around my throat and he begins to choke me. 'It gets tougher to breathe and I think he's going to kill me. I recognise immediately it's Christopher. In a second somebody storms into my room and jumps on to me. I start screaming and I feel his hands around my throat and he begins to choke me Samantha Stites 'I say, 'If you want to rape me just do it,' but he said, 'I just want to talk to you, not here.' 'He shoves a ball gag in my mouth, pulls out black gorilla tape, puts it around my head and hair multiple times. I feel like a prisoner.' Thomas handcuffed and blindfolded Samantha, and bundled her into her own car, along with her dog. She added: 'Once we leave my house the likelihood of me surviving goes down drastically - this really becomes a fight for my life.' Chilling plan Once they reached the bunker Thomas revealed his chilling plan for them to spend two weeks holed up together. He gave Samantha pyjamas, told her to use a bucket as a toilet and then chained her to a wall. Then he calmly explained that he intended to fake Samantha's death by leaving her paddle board in a nearby lake so people would assume she had drowned. She said: 'On the inside I'm freaking out - there's no way we're going to just talk for two weeks. Is he going to rape me and kill me? Will I see daylight again? 'I need to stay focused, I can't fight my way out - this guy is faster and stronger than me. 'Christopher is a psychopath, he is someone I can't use normal logic with. I try not to react with disgust. On the inside I'm freaking out - there's no way we're going to just talk for two weeks. Is he going to rape me and kill me? Will I see daylight again? Samantha Stites 'He talks about the TV show You, about a good-looking young man who becomes obsessed with a young woman, kidnaps her and keeps her in a glass room - which he says wasn't logistically possible, he looked into it. 'In the show he ends up murdering her.' Thomas gave Samantha a football shirt with her name on the back - which he'd bought when first he asked her out 11 years earlier. Over the next 13 hours Samantha begged him to let her go, promising not to go to the police. She said: 'I try to convince him we can be friends, and what he's done isn't a big deal. 'I said, 'As a social worker, I'm good at keeping secrets,' but he says, 'What will convince me is if you sleep with me.' 'I told him, 'I'm seeing somebody, I don't want to sleep with you,' but he said, 'That's the only way I can trust you.' 'I think this person is capable of killing me, he holds the key to my life. 'I don't see anything sharp I could hide and stab him with, not a screwdriver I could take the locks off the door, there is no way out of this. If I say no is he going to rape me anyway? 'I say, 'You promise me if I sleep with you, you'll let me out tonight?' He looked me in the eye and shook my hand. His integrity is important to him, I was banking on that." 'Dead inside' At the time, she thought the actual rape would be over quickly. She adds: 'This guy hasn't had a girlfriend in a long time, this might be a quick endeavour. 'But then he says, 'I masturbate 12 times a day so this might take a while.' I felt myself go dead inside. It was painful, I cried and I shook. I didn't want him to know I was disgusted and terrified. I didn't want him to get angry Samantha Stites 'I felt myself go dead inside. It was painful, I cried and I shook. I didn't want him to know I was disgusted and terrified. I didn't want him to get angry. 'He said, 'That's all I've wanted for so long, you can't imagine how long I've wanted that. You're the person I'm supposed to marry.' 'My stomach turns just thinking about that, but I said, 'I've held up my end of the bargain, you need to let me go'.' Astonishingly, Thomas agreed and drove Samantha home. 14 Samantha in hospital following the ordeal Credit: Netflix 14 Police examine the bunker where she was held Credit: Netflix 14 Thomas is arrested after kidnapping Samantha Credit: Netflix Within 36 hours he had been arrested, having chemically burnt the skin off his head and body in a desperate bid to conceal evidence. Cops then discovered he'd had a tracker on Samantha's car for months, and found more than $5,000 worth of receipts for tools and equipment he bought to create the lair - where he also hid rifles and a crossbow. It also emerged that he had been arrested for stalking a former colleague in 2009. Although he claimed Samantha participated in 'role play', Thomas was convicted of kidnapping, home invasion, torture, aggravated stalking and four counts of criminal sexual conduct. He was sentenced to 40 to 60 years in prison. In a call to his mother from prison, he admitted he had thought about Samantha every day for 12 years. Samantha has chosen to share her story to help other women avoid harm. "I would want other women or people in general to know how to identify those signs that somebody is potentially stalking you or is at risk of harming you in some way," she says. "Knowing some things that you can do, places you can go to get help, and really advocating for yourself if you've got a gut feeling that something's wrong, it likely is and really pursuing that. "I felt like I did that to the best of my ability." Stalking Samantha is available on Disney+ from August 19.
Daily Mail
07-08-2025
- Daily Mail
Shocking identity of victim filmed being beaten up by psycho at Disney World in front of screaming children
A shocking link has emerged between the woman punched in the face at Disney World in front of horrified families and her attacker. Matthew Edward Cameron, 22, was arrested at the Magic Kingdom theme park in Orlando at 9.40pm on October 19 last year, after he allegedly attacked a woman during a visit to 'The Most Magical Place on Earth'. Chaotic video, obtained by the Daily Mail, showed the aftermath of the wild incident at Casey's Corner - a crowded spot with a hot dog stand. Now, a police incident report shared with the Daily Mail has revealed Cameron had allegedly attacked his own mother Diane Marie Cameron, 56, during an argument. 'Diane said Matthew suddenly became upset with her and pushed the left side of her face away from him before he then punched her in the left side of her face, knocking her to the ground and giving her a bloody nose,' Officer Dominic Gonzalez, with the Orange County Sheriff's Department, wrote. At the time, Cameron, from Burlington, Massachusetts, was arrested and charged with domestic battery. But prosecutors suddenly dropped the charges at a court hearing on January 14. It is unclear why. Cameron was on vacation at Disney World with his mom Diane and sister Sarah at the time. Eyewitness Michael Williams was standing nearby with his family when the incident unfolded. He told police he saw Cameron punch his mother and so he tackled him and held him on the ground. Another witness, Matthew Remark, told police he also saw the attack and assisted Williams in restraining Cameron. Officers arrived on the scene minutes later to find Diane with a bloody nose and red marks on her face. Cameron admitted to the assault under questioning after waiving his right to silence, police said. 'Matthew advised he punched Diane when he became frustrated after having an argument with her,' the police report said. 'Matthew advised he was not thinking when he punched Diane and simply did it out of frustration.' Diane told police her son 'has suffered from severe schizophrenia for several years and sometimes experiences severe hallucinations'. She said Cameron had hit her a few times in the past during some of those hallucinations. The police report did not say whether or not Cameron might have been hallucinating during the incident at Disney World. In the video, shot moments after the attack, Cameron's mom Diane and sister Sarah were seen standing a few feet away from Cameron, looking distressed and holding tissues to their noses. 'Both women had bloody noses and were crying. I saw two small children crying and led away by a Disney cast member,' the man who shot the video told the Daily Mail. Cameron was lying on the ground being restrained by Williams and Remark, while witnesses were seen telling staff what had just happened. One of the men was seen kneeling on Cameron's back until a security guard arrived. The guard and Disney World staff surrounded Cameron and led him away. The man who filmed the video, who asked not to be named, said a sheriff's deputy arrived a minute or so after he stopped filming. He said a 'swarm' of staff tried to shield onlookers from the chaos and 'kind of built a wall in front of the incident'. 'My family and I visit Disney parks generally every weekend. This was a rare occurrence at Disney, for sure,' he said. The man said he has noticed a ramping up of security across Disney venues recently, particularly at parking garages for the free Disney Springs shopping precinct. 'In the past, we may have walked by a Disney security officer with a sniffing dog, but not all garages had a checkpoint with metal detectors,' he said. 'Now I believe all entrances to Disney Springs have an official security checkpoint.' Cameron's family appear to be regular visitors to Disney World. His father Edward, Diane, and Sarah have all shared photos of each other on previous trips to the theme park.
Daily Mail
01-08-2025
- Daily Mail
'The buck stops with the studio!' Harvey Weinstein accusers argue amongst themselves after one victim of pervert Hollywood mogul wins $5.7 million payout whilst dozens of other women had to split $17 million in damages between them
Harvey Weinstein 's victims have spoken of their fury after another of his accusers got a $5.7 million payout, by far the largest for anyone. Zoe Brock said she was happy for British actress Julia Ormond but the deal 'pisses me off' because she was one of dozens of women who had to split $17 million in 2021. Ms Brock said that others may take aim at Disney, who Ms Ormond sued, because 'the buck stops' with the studio as it owned Weinstein's movie company Miramax until 2010. Kaja Sokola, who testified at Weinstein's retrial in New York earlier this year, warned the settlement could be a 'blueprint' for others to follow. This week exclusively revealed the stunning payout to Ms Ormond, 60, who rose to fame starring opposite Brad Pitt in Legends of the Fall. The out of court settlement came after she sued Miramax, Disney and her former agents Creative Artists Agency (CAA) claiming negligence for not protecting her from Weinstein even though they knew he could be dangerous. Ms Ormond claimed that Weinstein stripped naked in front of her at her Manhattan apartment in 1995 and forced her to perform oral sex on him. The settlement from Disney and Miramax does not include any admission of wrongdoing but it could open the door to dozens of similar cases. Ms Ormond (pictured) claimed that Weinstein stripped naked in front of her at her Manhattan apartment in 1995 and forced her to perform oral sex on him And it is a striking contrast to the $17 million settlement from 2021 for more than 40 women with Weinstein's bankrupt film company, The Weinstein Co. Speaking from her home in New Zealand, Ms Brock praised Ms Ormond as a 'queen' for getting such a deal for herself. Ms Brock, 51, a former model, has claimed that Weinstein took off his clothes and demanded a massage in a hotel room when she was 23, forcing her to hide in the bathroom. She said that Ms Ormond has 'done what I wanted to do'. Ms Brock said: 'My whole idea I went to the lawyers with was to go after Disney 'Everything was covered up, everything was'. Ms Brock said that the class action lawsuit, which led to the 2021 settlement, was the thing that 'undid us'. She said: 'The class action lawsuit was the worst thing that any of the Weinstein survivors could have gotten involved in. We were conned into it. It bit us on the a**. 'I was the last person who tried to hold out and not take that settlement and appeal 'The problem was….that I was broke, a single mom, totally trying to get my life back together. The amount it would cost was astronomical. I couldn't afford it'. The day Ms Brock took the deal, which she said was in the 'low, low six figures', she 'puked and cried'. She said: 'It was awful. I put that small amount in a trust for my kid and tried to move on. It pisses me off. 'I am so happy for Julia. Smart girl. Clever girl. What a woman. Go for it. F*** them where it hurts'. Ms Brock said that others may follow suit because 'Miramax was part of Disney, it was a clear step. Miramax did not exist without Disney. 'The buck stops at Disney'. Ms Sokola, 45, a former model, testified at Weinstein's retrial about two instances of sexual assault, one in 2002 when she was just 16 and a second one in 2006. Weinstein was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual act and third-degree rape in 2020 and sentenced to 23 years in prison, but the conviction was overturned on appeal in April 2024 and Weinstein is now being retried on the charges The jury acquitted Weinstein on the counts related to her testimony, however they found him guilty of sexual assault related to another accuser. A mistrial was declared over a rape allegation. Ms Sokola said she was 'really happy' for Ms Ormond. She said: 'What they did, especially the companies, the settlement she received should be a blueprint for all other races that involved other big companies that should be responsible for the people that work for them'. 'Do I think it's fair for the other women? Of course I don't. I wish all the other women got money to at least conceive they couldn't work. 'At the same time if I could give advice to anyone thinking about proceeding in that step, just reach out to the best lawyer you can'. Ms Sokola said that during early discussions with Weinstein's companies figures in excess of $100 million were touted for his victims, which are thought to run into the hundreds. Instead some women ended up with tens of thousands of dollars. Ms Sokola saidL 'I would say if someone feels they have a unique individual case, I'd suggest they go for it. 'This is such a gamble. You never know what will be the outcome'. Ms Brock's lawyer was Doug Wigdor, dubbed the 'no.1 MeToo lawyer in America': his other clients include Cassandra Ventura, who testified earlier this year at the trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs. During the case it emerged that Ms Ventura had gotten a $20 million payout from Combs after suing him in 2023. She is also set to get another $10 million from a Los Angeles hotel where he subjected her to a brutal beating. Mr Wigdor has another client, former model Sara Ziff, who has also sued Disney for its failure to protect her from Weinstein: her case is ongoing. One hitch for potential litigants is that Ms Ormond's case was filed under the Adult Survivors Act, a 2022 law in New York that allowed a one year window to file civil cases that were normally past the statute of limitations. However other laws may provide a way for cases to be filed and similar legislation could be passed in the future again. Meredith Firetog, a partner at Mr Wigdor's law firm who worked on Ms Ormond's case, said that they were 'happy' with the settlement. She said: 'Harvey Weinstein didn't operate in a vacuum and it's important to hold those people and institutions accountable'. Elizabeth Fagan, the lawyer who brokered the 2021 settlement for Weinstein's victims, did not respond to requests for comment.
