Guest Shares Terrifying Experience: Raises Safety Concerns After Falling Into Disney Waters

More information has been revealed regarding a shocking incident at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.

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Earlier this month, a guest fell into the Rivers of America at the Walt Disney World Resort, with multiple online publications reporting on the incident. The guest was photographed moments after falling into the manmade waters of Magic Kingdom, directly in the path of the Liberty Square Riverboat and Tom Sawyer’s Island rafts.

However, there’s more to the story than a guest simply taking a fall, with the guest in question sharing more details about the incident. According to a new report from Orlando Theme Park Zone, the guest claims to suffer from a Traumatic Brain Injury, or TBI, and has difficulties balancing as a result. The guest is allegedly a disabled U.S. Navy Veteran and a retired swiftwater rescuer.

The guest attempted to board one of the rafts for Tom Sawyer Island with his service dog Tinkerbell, who alerts him when there may be a balancing issue. The guest states that they were going to sit on a box attached to the raft, something they say they’ve done many times.

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However, this time was different, with the cast member in charge not allowing the guest to sit on the box. After being told they could not sit, the guest lost his balance and blacked out, resulting in them falling overboard and into the Rivers of America. When the guest came to, they were in the manmade waters of Magic Kingdom park, with their service dog Tinkerbell and wife still on the raft. “I’m very lucky I survived because of the current.”

Eventually, the guest was rescued from the water by a fire rescue team. The guest reiterated to first responders and cast members that there needs to be benches on the Tom Sawyer Island rafts for guests with mobility issues. The guest hopes this incident will be the wake-up call Walt Disney World needs in order to make these changes happen.

When guests travel to Tom Sawyer Island, they must board a small raft that travels along the Rivers of America waters. This small raft can only hold about 20 people comfortably and can be quite an uncomfortable ride, even for guests with no mobility issues.

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