[EN] Une jeune femme décède à Six Flags America

Woman, 27, Dies After Heart Attack At Six Flags

By Jonathan Abel
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 5, 2005; B02

A 27-year-old woman died last night at Six Flags America in Largo after suffering a heart attack on one of the park's water slides.

The woman, who was visiting the park with her family, was floating unconscious in the pool at the base of the Shark Attack slide when a lifeguard spotted her, said park spokeswoman Lahne Curry.

Park officials administered first aid and CPR and used a defibrillator in an attempt to revive her.

The incident happened just after 6 p.m. in the crowded water park.

Mark E. Brady, a Prince George's County fire department spokesman, said the woman went into cardiac arrest during the ride. She was taken to Bowie Health Center by Prince George's paramedics, Curry said.

The exact cause of death was undetermined last night, Brady said. The woman's name and home town were not released yesterday.

The Shark Attack, which opened in 1994, is a partially enclosed water slide that drops 52 feet over its approximately 220-foot path. The whole trip takes about 30 seconds to complete, Curry said.

She said that the ride was immediately closed after the accident and that an internal investigation was launched. She said she is not sure whether it will reopen today.

"We've never had anything like this happen on that ride," Curry said. "It's always sad whenever something like this happens."

© 2005 The Washington Post Company