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The Sun
18 hours ago
- Health
- The Sun
Disney World fan weighing 334lbs is left ‘permanently disfigured' after ‘going airborne' on popular water slide
A 334lb Disney World fan who was left "permanently disfigured" after "flying" off a water slide is suing the company for negligence. Florida man Eugene Strickland was allowed on the ride at Blizzard Beach - despite being over the weight limit and allegedly using poorly maintained equipment. 3 3 3 He filed the lawsuit on May 29 in Orange County, seeking over $50,000 in damages for his "permanent catastrophic injuries". The complainant said he was riding the Downhill Double Dipper, a dual-track slide. Disney World boasts that the slide will plunge guests "50 feet downhill at exhilarating speeds". Strickland, who weighed 334 pounds at the time, was 34 pounds over the maximum weight limit allowed under American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) safety guidelines for single-rider slides. But Disney World employees allegedly turned a blind eye, allowing the man to go on the ride using one of the park's provided inner tubes. During the descent, Strickland says he "became momentarily airborne". He added that the tube "became forcibly, suddenly, and unexpectedly dislodged" from underneath him, which then made him "land with force onto the hard plastic surface of the slide". The lawsuit blasted Disney's safety protocols, and claimed the slide was in a "dangerous condition" It also branded the ride as a "safety hazard and concealed trap". They accused the company of knowingly keeping the ride open without proper warnings or sufficient repairs. Strickland's lawyers said: "These injuries are permanent and continuing within a degree of medical probability, and Plaintiff will suffer these losses in the future." The complaint also accused Disney of using "deficient, inadequate, ineffective, or underinflated inner tubes", while knowing that they were not fit for use. They also said the park failed to properly inspect the slide, maintain the equipment, or enforce posted weight limits. The scathing complaint outlines 13 specific examples of negligenc. It included allowing the "unrestricted use of an unsafe high-speed water slide", failing to correctly train staff, and ignoring its own safety regulation. Strickland said he is still suffering physically and emotionally as a result of the horror ordeal. He explained that he suffers from pain, disability, scarring, disfigurement, mental anguish, and a diminished quality of life. These came alongside his ongoing medical expenses and the exacerbation of pre-existing conditions. A jury trial is scheduled for May 2027, and Disney are yet to comment publicly on the case. The Sun reached out to Disney for comment.
CBS News
a day ago
- General
- CBS News
Florida man sues Walt Disney World over "permanent catastrophic injuries" from water park ride
A Florida man is suing Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, alleging he sustained "permanent catastrophic injuries" after riding a water park slide in Walt Disney World Resort in 2021. Eugene Strickland is seeking $50,000 in damages against the theme park giant in a lawsuit filed May 29 in Orange County, Florida. Those damages stem from physical and mental injuries Strickland claims he suffered while riding on the Downhill Double Dipper (DDD) at Disney's Blizzard Beach water park on July 31, 2021. Strickland, who weighed 334 pounds at the time of the incident — 34 pounds above the water ride's allowable weight limit — alleges in the lawsuit that he was dislodged from his Disney inner tube, as a result of the ride's "exhilarating speeds," a reference to the ride's description on the Disney World website. "Disappear into a black hole and plummet 50 feet downhill at exhilarating speeds," a description of the high-speed water ride on the park website reads. "Hurtle through darkness, then emerge just in time for the big splashdown." After becoming separated from his inner tube, Strickland landed forcefully on the slide's plastic surface, causing him to sustain "serious bodily injury," such as "disability, scarring, disfigurement," the lawsuit states. Other alleged injuries include "mental anguish" and the "loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life." Strickland claims the theme park is at fault for his injures, stating in his lawsuit that Disney had a "duty to warn him of dangerous conditions at the DDD high-speed water slide premises." Disney did not immediately respond to CBS MoneyWatch's request for comment. Strickland is seeking legal damages and a trial by jury.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Man left 'permanently disfigured' by Disney waterpark slide after flying down at high speed
A Florida man is suing Disney for negligence after he says he was hurled off a high-speed water slide, left permanently disfigured, and allowed to ride despite being over the weight limit and using poorly maintained equipment. Eugene Strickland filed the lawsuit in Orange County court on May 29, seeking more than $50,000 in damages over a 2021 incident at Blizzard Beach that he says caused him 'permanent catastrophic injuries.' According to the complaint, Strickland was riding the Downhill Double Dipper, a dual-track slide, which Disney boasts will plunge guests '50 feet downhill at exhilarating speeds.' At the time, Strickland weighed 334 pounds — 34 pounds over the maximum weight allowed under American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) safety guidelines for single-rider slides. Despite this, he claims Disney staff allowed him on the ride using one of the park's provided inner tubes. During the descent, Strickland says he 'became momentarily airborne,' and the tube 'became forcibly, suddenly, and unexpectedly dislodged' from underneath him, causing him to 'land with force onto the hard plastic surface of the slide.' The lawsuit slams Disney's safety protocols, calling the slide a 'dangerous condition, safety hazard, and concealed trap,' and accuses the company of knowingly keeping it open without proper warnings or repairs. 'These injuries are permanent and continuing within a degree of medical probability, and Plaintiff will suffer these losses in the future,' his lawyers wrote. The complaint also alleges that Disney knowingly used 'deficient, inadequate, ineffective, or underinflated inner tubes,' and failed to properly inspect the slide, maintain the equipment, or enforce posted weight limits. It further claims Disney violated multiple safety laws and regulations—arguing that these breaches alone establish legal negligence. Strickland contends the accident wouldn't have happened if the ride and its equipment had been properly maintained. His attorneys say Disney had a clear duty to ensure guest safety but failed at nearly every level. The complaint outlines 13 specific examples of negligence, including allowing the 'unrestricted use of an unsafe high-speed water slide,' failing to train staff, and ignoring its own safety policies. Nearly four years later, Strickland says he is still suffering from the physical and emotional consequences of the incident. He claims to suffer from pain, disability, scarring, disfigurement, mental anguish, and a diminished quality of life, along with ongoing medical expenses and the aggravation of pre-existing conditions. A jury trial is scheduled for May 2027. Walt Disney World has not yet responded publicly to the lawsuit.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Man sues Disney over water slide's ‘exhilarating speeds,' alleges permanent injuries
The Brief Eugene Strickland is suing Walt Disney Parks and Resorts for negligence after he was injured on the Downhill Double Dipper water slide at Blizzard Beach. Strickland, who was over the ride's weight limit, claims he became airborne during the ride, causing his inner tube to dislodge and resulting in permanent injuries. The lawsuit alleges Disney allowed unsafe use of the slide and failed to properly inspect and maintain the area. LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - A man is suing Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S. for negligence after he claims he was injured on one of the company's water slides. Eugene Strickland filed the lawsuit for damages of $50,000 and is demanding a jury trial, according to court documents filed on May 29 in Orange County, Florida. What we know On July 31, 2021, Strickland visited Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park and rode the Downhill Double Dipper water slide. According to Disney's website, the Downhill Double Dipper is described as a "high-speed" thrill ride that allows guests to race side-by-side. During the ride, guests "disappear into a black hole and plummet 50 feet downhill at exhilarating speeds," the website states. In the lawsuit, Strickland claims he weighed 334 pounds at the time – 34 pounds over the ride's posted weight limit—and rode the slide using one of the park's inner tubes. He alleges that, during the ride, he became airborne due to the slide's "exhilarating speeds" and design. As a result, he claims the inner tube unexpectedly dislodged from beneath him, causing him to land forcefully on the slide's hard surface. RELATED HEADLINES: New York woman sues Disney for $2 million, claims 'mammoth wave' injured her in Typhoon Lagoon 'kiddie area' Lawsuit filed against Disney regarding ex-employee who allegedly filmed up girl's dress Strickland said he suffered permanent injuries, although the specific injuries were not detailed in the lawsuit. The suit alleges Disney was negligent for several reasons, claiming the park allowed unrestricted use of an unsafe high-speed water slide and failed to have adequate staff assigned to inspect and maintain the premises for dangerous conditions. Click to open this PDF in a new window. The other side FOX 35 News has reached out to Disney regarding the lawsuit for comment. We're waiting to hear back. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source This story was written based on information shared in Orange County Clerk of Court documents on May 28, 2025. Additional details regarding the Downhill Double Dipper ride were provided on Disney's website.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Man sues Walt Disney World over Florida water slide's ‘exhilarating speeds'
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Walt Disney World is facing a lawsuit after a man was hurt on a high-speed water slide at its Blizzard Beach water park, according to a complaint filed Thursday. The lawsuit claimed that the man, Eugene Strickland, had visited the water park in July 2021 to try out the Downhill Double Dipper slide. According to the lawsuit, Strickland weighed about 334 pounds at the time, exceeding the slide's weight limit of 300 pounds. Buc-ee's sues Florida store over knockoff merchandise However, Strickland got on the ride and 'became momentarily airborne as a result of the ride's 'exhilarating speeds' and design,' the lawsuit claimed. Strickland said he forcefully landed onto the hard plastic surface of the slide, suffering 'permanent catastrophic injuries.' He accused Walt Disney World of negligence and failing to maintain safe premises. He argued that Disney had a responsibility to fix the water slide's 'dangerous conditions.' He is asking for more than $50,000 in damages, according to the lawsuit. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
