Disneyland Paris: Body Found Inside Haunted House Attraction

In spooky attraction news, a Disneyland Paris worker was found dead inside the theme park’s popular haunted house attraction.

French police are currently investigating the death of a male electrician who was working inside the Phantom Manor. The body of the father was found on early Saturday morning. He was reportedly working on the attraction’s light fixtures, which features ghosts and other spooky stuff.

Disneyland Paris confirmed that one of its employees died inside the park’s haunted house attraction on Saturday, April 2. The man, who has yet to be identified, was found by his colleagues between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. and was confirmed dead at 10 a.m., according to a report in the French newspaper Le Parisien.

“We are truly saddened to learn of the passing of one of our Cast Members, and our hearts go out to his family and friends during this difficult time,” the theme park told Newsbeat.

The 45-year-old man had been working at Disneyland Paris since 2002. He was said to be electrocuted while working on a light fixture inside the attraction, according to the French report. The attraction was immediately shut down for investigation. Meanwhile, police are investigating the employee’s death, which is also said to be from an accidental electrocution. An autopsy has yet to be conducted.

Police have interviewed colleagues, who found the man’s body inside the attraction. Patrick Maldidier, a Disneyland union representative, spoke out about the employee. He said that the man was “much appreciated by his colleagues” and he “always had a smile” on his face whenever he worked. The Phantom Manor attraction will remain closed until at least Wednesday, as the investigation is still ongoing.

This is not Disneyland Paris’ first employee death. Back in 2010, a 53-year-old cleaner died after he was trapped underneath a boat inside the park’s It’s a Small World attraction. The man was injured on the job and taken to a hospital, where he later died. Disneyland Paris also made headlines when an unidentified teenage girl died on the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. She passed away by the time the ambulance arrived.

Disneyland Paris is one of Europe’s largest attractions. About 15 million people visited the theme park in 2015, and the park hails itself as the most visited tourist attraction in all of Europe. About half of the guests were from France, while only 16 percent were from the U.K. and 9 percent traveled from Spain, according to the Disneyland Paris website.

There appears to be an old haunt at Disneyland Paris’ American cousin, Walt Disney World. According to NJ.com, there’s a former Disney employee who haunts the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kC3CeF9WIE

According to urban legend, George was one of the construction workers who built the attraction in 1970 before the park opened in 1971. It’s not clear how George died. Some assumed he fell to his death, while others believe he died via electrocution or a falling beam. The friendly spirit supposedly interacts with both the Disney cast members and guests on a regular basis.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEs_U4v0mZE

Some have claimed that he constantly stops the boat ride, makes phone calls inside empty offices located in the attraction, and photo bombs the guests’ pictures taken on the ride.

Strangely enough, there are no reports about the beloved welder who died inside the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. George has never been confirmed dead or recognized by Walt Disney World, so it could just be an urban legend. But visitors have taken to the DISboards.com to share their own experiences with the ghost, as well as share photos that show an “orb” or a ghostly presence floating in the background.

[Photo by Michel Fuler/Associated Press]