Woman says 'near-vertical' Disney waterslide knocked her unconscious and caused brain damage in new lawsuit
Abigail Nilsson/Disney World
- A Florida woman has filed a lawsuit against Disney theme parks, according to an Orlando news outlet.
- The lawsuit says she went unconscious and experienced brain damage on a Typhoon Lagoon waterslide.
- She's seeking $50,000 in damages.
A Florida woman has filed a lawsuit against Disney, saying she lost consciousness and sustained a brain injury after riding a waterslide at Typhoon Lagoon Water Park.
The lawsuit, filed on Monday in Orange County, says that Laura Reyes-Merino visited the theme park on May 11 and rode the Humunga Kowabunga, according to the lawsuit, obtained by WKMG, a local Orlando news outlet.
The woman's attorney, Richard Russo, did not immediately return a request for comment from Business Insider.
The Walt Disney World website says the waterslide has a "near-vertical" 214-foot drop with a 60-degree angle.
Reyes-Merino fell unconscious after "banging inside the ride," according to the lawsuit. Her family discovered her limp at the end of the waterslide.
"The attendants told (Reyes-Merino's) fiancé and mother that they were not lifeguards and would have to find lifeguards to help," the lawsuit says. "As they were all waiting for help, blood kept coming out of (Reyes-Merino's) mouth in the water."
Reyes-Merino's fiancé pulled her from the water, but a lifeguard who arrived at the scene told the family not to touch her, prompting them to call an ambulance, the lawsuit says.
"Had (Disney) had lifeguards at the end of the ride to watch and help guests coming off the ride, Plaintiff's brain injury would not have occurred as she wouldn't have been drowning in the water coughing up blood," the lawsuit says.
Reyes-Merino has experienced mental, emotional, and physical ailments following the incident, including brain damage, the lawsuit says. She's seeking $50,000 in damages.
Representatives for Walt Disney World and Reyes-Merino did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Disney has faced lawsuits related to the Humunga Kowabunga waterslide in the past, including in October 2023, when a woman claimed she experienced vaginal bleeding after a hard landing.
That lawsuit said the woman experienced permanent bodily injury following the incident. She also sought $50,000.