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Disney Paris Tragedy – Maintenance Worker Found Dead In Haunted House

By Jacintha Webster
Published on: 17:11 PST, Apr 5, 2016

Disneyland in Paris experienced tragedy over the weekend as the body of a man was discovered in the “Phantom Manor,” attraction according to Le Parisien.

The body of a 45-year-old maintenance worker employed by Paris Disneyland was found by his colleagues on Saturday morning between 8 and 9 a.m. before the park opened. The man, who’s name is yet to be released, was apparently electrocuted while working on a faulty light fixture in the “Phantom Manor” house.

The attraction was immediately shut down for investigation by French Police and still remains closed today. The investigation into the Disney Paris tragedy is still underway, but police suspect that the incident was an accident. An autopsy has not yet been carried out, according to Ten, but all reports point to accidental electrocution. The “Phantom Manor” is not expected to reopen to the public until Wednesday at the earliest after the tragic death, but the rest of Disneyland Paris is still functioning.

Disneyland Paris confirmed that one of its employees had died at the park’s haunted house attraction on Saturday and management has been “deeply saddened” by the man’s passing, a Disneyland spokesperson said.

“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 very difficult time.”

Patrick Maldidier, a representative of the worker’s union said the deceased Disney Paris employee, who was also a father “…was much appreciated by his colleagues…He was someone who always had a smile.”

According to Dread Central, the 45-year-old man worked at Paris Disney for 14 years before the tragedy struck and has been a maintenance worker since 2002.

The ride where the death occurred is one of the park’s most popular rides and features ghouls, eerie sounds, and a ghost bride that follows visitors around when they get into a “doombuggy” inside. The haunted house features many flickering lights and it was a faulty light fixture the Disneyland Paris employee was working on when he received the fatal shock.

This is not the first time tragedy and death have hit Disneyland Paris, according to Metro. In 2010, a 53-year-old Disney Paris cleaner died after he was trapped underneath a boat while cleaning the park’s “It’s a Small World” attraction.

Another water death nearly occurred at the park in 2013 when a 5-year-old boy fell into the water on the park’s Pirates of the Caribbean‘ ride. The young boy was trapped under the boat before his father pulled him out, according to the Telegraph.

Disney Paris almost experienced another tragedy earlier this year as well when a possible terrorist carrying two guns, a copy of the Koran, and a box of ammunition was stopped at the entrance of Disneyland after metal detectors went off.

“During a routine security screening checkpoint at one of our hotels, weapons were discovered in a guest’s luggage through our X-ray machine,” spokesman Francois Banon said.

“The police were immediately notified and the individual was arrested. We continue to work closely with the authorities and the safety and security of our guests and cast members is our utmost priority.”

Disneyland Paris remained open during the arrest of the man hiding two guns and also remained open after two employee deaths.

Theme parks across the globe are at risk of problems due to the high-speed nature of roller coasters, the amount of people through the gates, and a high number of electrics.

Australia faced tragedy in 1979 when seven people were killed at Luna Park in Sydney when the Ghost Train caught fire.

In Japan, a 19-year-old university student was killed and 19 others were injured when The Fujin Raijin II roller coaster derailed, and cars went flying off the tracks.

In 1997 at Waterworld USA in California, 33 high school seniors crowded one water slide, causing the slide to collapse. A 17-year-old died and all 32 others were taken to hospitals.

The worst accident in the history, according to The Richest, was similar to the Disney Paris tragedy and happened in a haunted house. Eight teenagers died when the haunted house in Jackson Township, New Jersey, USA caught fire, trapping them inside.

[Photo by Bertrand Guay/Getty Images]

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