Boy, 5, 'critically injured' after falling out of ride at Disneyland Paris

A five-year-old was left in a critical condition after falling from a ride at Disneyland Paris on Wednesday.

The boy was on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride with his father when he fell out of the boat towards the end of the ride.

According to thelocal.fr and the Daily Telegraph, Anne Chazareix, the police officer in charge of the probe into the accident, said the boy, "lost his balance when the boat was arriving at the end of the ride", adding that he "fell and found himself stuck under the boat" in the water.

His father jumped in straight away and pulled him out, but not before he had been injured.

Fabrice Delin, of the Codis emergency services for the Seine-et-Marne department, said: "He was stuck between the platform, with his chest compressed, and the boat."

A Eurodisney spokesman confirmed the accident and, according to the Daily Mail, told AFP: "Our emergency services intervened rapidly to provide first aid. The attraction is temporarily closed and we are at the family's side."

The ride, which inspired the hit film series, is a slow-moving flume-based ride that does not require passengers to wear seat belts.

Julien Kaufman, the Vice President of the EuroDisney group which runs Disneyland Paris, said an investigation will uncover the reason behind the incident.

He told thelocal.fr that safety was "the number one priority" and that management will "make available all the information to authorities to try to work out what happened."

He added that the boy's health has already improved since the accident.

Related articles

Is Disneyland Paris 'falling apart'? 5000 sign petition against attraction

Saudi Prince spends millions on party at Disneyland Paris