FL Man Thrown Into Air On Water Ride Sues Walt Disney World: Reports

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL — A man who was reportedly thrown from an inner tube and injured on a Walt Disney World ride is suing the Orlando theme park, media reports say, citing court documents.

Attorneys for Eugene Strickland filed the lawsuit Thursday in Orange County after he claimed to suffer "permanent catastrophic injuries" while on a Disney ride, CBS MoneyWatch reported Monday. Strickland is seeking $50,000 in damages.

At the time of the July 2021 mishap, both CBS and People reported Strickland was 34 pounds over the 300-pound weight limit for Disney's Downhill Double Dipper ride at its Blizzard Beach water park.

While on the ride, Strickland was dislodged from his inner tube and briefly thrown through the air before landing on a hard plastic surface located on the slide, People reported.

Strickland claimed he "suffered serious bodily injury and resulting pain and suffering, disability, scarring, disfigurement, mental anguish (and) loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life" due to the incident, People reported.

He additionally claimed Disney was negligent in failing to alert him of the ride's "dangerous conditions" while on its property, CBS reported.

“Our client was severely injured on a ride at Disney’s Blizzard Beach. He has filed a lawsuit alleging that it was the defendant’s lax safety measures and oversight that contributed to those injuries. We are pursuing justice for him and working to hold Disney accountable for their alleged negligence," Morgan and Morgan founder John Morgan and attorney Alberto Oliveri said in a joint statement to People on Stickland's behalf.

Disney has not publicly commented on the lawsuit.

The case is scheduled for a May 2027 jury trial, People reported.

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