Tourist from the Philippines dies after passing out on Hong Kong Disneyland 'Frozen' ride

A Filipino couple's holiday to Hong Kong Disneyland on Aug. 29 ended in tragedy when the man lost consciousness on the Frozen Ever After boat ride and died the same day.

Hong Kong news site HK01 reported that the deceased had a 10-year history of heart disease and high blood pressure.

He needed long-term medication and follow-up medical appointments to manage his conditions.

What happened

HK01 added that the deceased, 53, was at the Frozen World theme park with his family on Aug. 29 at around 10am when he suddenly collapsed.

His wife immediately called the staff for help and called the police who received a report about the incident at 10:18am.

The South China Morning Post reported that when she discovered her husband had fallen into a coma during the Frozen Ever After boat ride, she immediately alerted staff.

SCMP added that a resort spokesman said the employees arranged for a first-aider to check on the man and perform CPR as the boat prepared to dock.

The man was rushed to North Lantau Hospital where he died at around 11:27am on the same day.

The spokesman said: "The resort deeply regrets the passing of the guest and will do its utmost to provide necessary assistance to his family."

No foul play

In light of the incident, police investigations revealed that there is no suspicion of misconduct.

An inspection of the ride also showed that all its components were working normally.

Ride suspended

The Philippine News Agency reported that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement:

"The (Philippine) Consulate General (in Hong Kong), through its Assistance-to-Nationals Section, confirmed the incident with the Lantau Police headquarters and contacted the next of kin of the deceased to convey our heartfelt condolences and to assist them with the process of repatriating the deceased's remains.

"The Consulate General continues to coordinate with the local authorities and institutions concerned, while respecting the family's privacy during this difficult time."

While Hong Kong Disneyland Resort's initial investigation revealed that the incident was “not related to ride safety", the theme park has temporarily suspended its Frozen Ever After ride from Aug. 31 to Sep. 19, citing "operational adjustments". 

Top photo via Hong Kong Disneyland Resort website and HK01