A tragic incident occurred at Disneyland Resort in California when a visitor, Dolly Regene Young, aged 47, lost her life on the Matterhorn Bobsled ride in 1984. Young was decapitated after being ejected from the ride due to her unfastened seatbelt. The incident happened around 3:30 pm, and her friends were unaware of her absence as she was seated at the rear of the cart.
Authorities are uncertain whether the seatbelt was intentionally undone or if there was a malfunction, as such fatal accidents are extremely rare in the park’s long history. The ride was stopped within 30 seconds of the incident to prevent further harm and provide immediate aid to Young. Luckily, no one else on the ride was injured when she was hit by an oncoming cart.
The ride was closed immediately following the tragedy but reopened the next day. It accommodated eight passengers seated in two carriages, each traveling along a track around a snow-covered mountain. The cart that struck Young was moving at about 20 mph, causing her immediate death.
Unfortunately, this was not the first fatality on the Matterhorn ride, as a 15-year-old boy lost his life on the attraction in May 1964. In that incident, the boy, Mark Maples, disappeared from the ride after possibly unfastening his seatbelt and falling beside the tracks. Disneyland has faced tragic losses on this particular ride over the years, with these incidents remaining as somber reminders of the risks associated with amusement park attractions.
