Family pay tribute to man who died on Universal theme park roller coaster as details released
The family of a man who died after becoming unresponsive on a roller coaster at Universal's Epic Universe in Orlando have paid tribute to his 'unwavering spirit.'
Kevin Rodriguez Zavala died from 'multiple blunt impact injuries' after riding the Stardust Racers ride on 17 September, with the Orange County Medical Examiner ruling the 32-year-old's death an accident.
Now, Kevin's family have paid tribute to him, describing him as 'one of a kind,' and 'wise beyond his years'.
Despite relying on a wheelchair, his family say he faced all obstacles with 'unwavering spirit'.
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"He was the kind of person who always made time to listen, offer thoughtful advice, and lift others up, even when he was facing challenges of his own," his sister, Ana Zavala, wrote on a GoFundMe page raising money for the 32-year-old's unexpected funeral expenses.
"Despite the restrictions and obstacles he encountered throughout his life, Kevin met them all with grace, strength, and an unwavering spirit. He overcame so much, and he did so with quiet resilience and humility."
A spokesperson for Universal Orlando Resorts said they were 'devastated' by Kevin's passing and confirmed they would be fully cooperating with the investigations into what led to his death.
"Universal is cooperating with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office following a tragic event involving a guest at Epic Universe on Wednesday night," they said in a statement last week.
"The guest became unresponsive after riding Stardust Racers and was transported to the hospital, where the guest later died."
"We are devastated by this event and extend our sincerest sympathies to the guest’s loved ones. We are fully committed to cooperating with this ongoing investigation."
An autopsy into Kevin's death confirmed 'multiple blunt impact injuries' as the cause of death, but did not explain where on the body the injuries were found or what could have caused them.
The results have been criticised by experts who say they raise more questions than they answer.
Dennis Speigel, founder and CEO of International Theme Park Services, questioned, as per CNN: "Was it the head or the chest? Was he banging around? Was he in his seat properly? Was it an accident caused by the ride or him doing something?"
An eyewitness who was queuing to ride Stardust Racers told Fox 35 that the ride arrived back at the station with a passenger 'completely slouched over'.
"Out of nowhere, the attendant just started screaming at the top of his lungs, ‘everyone get out, get off the coaster!'" Tommy Italiano said.
He said a woman jumped over the queue fence to attend to Kevin, who was 'completely unresponsive', claiming he later found out the woman was a doctor, though this fact has not been verified.
The Epic Universe, where the incident took place, only opened its doors to visitors in May of this year.
Topics: Theme Park, US News
Emma Rosemurgey