ORLANDO, Fla. — A new report is revealing what happened when paramedics arrived to try and save a man found unresponsive on an Epic Universe Roller Coaster.
32-year-old Kissimmee resident Kevin Rodriguez Zavala died from “blunt impact injuries” after riding the Stardust Racers roller coaster on Sept.17.
According to the Orange County Fire Rescue report, it took fire rescue crews less than six minutes to get to the scene. But according to the report, Rodriguez Zavala was already without a pulse.
The incident report explains that Orange County Fire Rescue got to Epic Universe at 9:15 p.m., parked about 750 feet away from the Stardust Racers roller coaster, then rushed toward Rodriguez Zavala after he was found unresponsive and with lacerations on the ride.
When crews got to Stardust Racers, the report said two Universal paramedics were holding him in one of the seats of the ride.
The report said the restraint bar was still on Rodriguez Zavala, and Universal paramedics had attached him to an automated external defibrillator, which is used to deliver an electrical shock to those experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.
According to the report, a paramedic also stated Rodriguez Zavala was in what’s known as PEA, or pulseless electrical activity.
Steve Tafoya is a critical care paramedic and the former state EMS program manager for Nevada. He explained the condition is a form of cardiac arrest.
“The electrical side is going, but the heart is not pumping. So, when that happens, you do a lot of CPR,” explained Tafoya.
According to the report, “the restraint bar was lifted off the patient” and paramedics brought Rodriguez Zavala to an open area, performing CPR before getting him to the hospital."
“They kept him on a backboard, which kind of helps with providing CPR compressions as they’re going. And then quickly transported to the hospital,” said Tafoya, “It’s likely they were trying to get to the highest level of care they could.”
The report is providing new insight after a plea from Rodriguez Zavala’s father for Universal to release information.
“Please. We need to know what happened. Give us an answer,” said Carlos Rodriguez Ortiz, Rodriguez Zavala’s father.
Attorneys for the family accused the theme park of ignoring safety concerns earlier this week.
The Orange County Sheriff Office investigation into Rodriguez Zavala’s death is ongoing, but Universal Orlando Resort’s president and chief operating officer, Karen Irwin, said in a letter to staff “internal findings to date confirm the ride systems functioned as intended, equipment was intact at the ride’s start, throughout the duration of the ride and upon the ride vehicle’s return to the station, and our team members followed procedures.”
Attorneys representing the Rodriguez Zavala family have asked for surveillance video from the ride to be released. That hasn’t happened so far, but attorneys said Universal Orlando have been cooperative and were working with attorneys to allow experts to assess the ride.
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