2 Disneyland Accident Victims Still in Critical Condition

Two people badly injured in a freak accident at Disneyland’s venerable Columbia clipper ship remained in critical condition Friday while a huge Christmas Day crowd reveled in the park’s attractions, unaware of or unconcerned about the incident.

Park and hospital officials still declined to identify the victims, who are from Duvall, Wash., but a relative visiting them at UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange said they are a married couple and that the woman’s name is Lien Tran, 40.

Both sustained major head trauma when a metal cleat was yanked loose from the hull of the ship as it was being tied by rope to the dock in Frontierland. The attraction was closed Friday and the Columbia, an 84-foot replica of the 18th century sailing ship, was nowhere in sight.

Hospital officials said the family had asked that no information about the couple be released.

Meanwhile, a third victim, Disneyland employee Christine Carpenter of Anaheim, was in stable condition at Western Medical Center-Anaheim, where she was treated for a serious foot injury.

Despite the accident, the park was packed on Christmas and visitors were undaunted.

Tom Chushman of Olympia, Wash., strolled the “Happiest Place on Earth” with his wife, Bonnie. Irked because he could not visit the Columbia--a favorite of his--he questioned workers about why the vessel was not at its dock on the Rivers of America.

“They were completely tight-lipped,” he said. “They wouldn’t say a word about what happened. Every question I asked, they told me: ‘I can’t tell you.’ ”

A sign at the dock read: “Sorry Folks, Due to River Construction, the Columbia and Mark Twain Will Not be Sailing.”

Disney officials again Friday refused to discuss the incident or another accident Thursday in which a 4-year-old suffered a concussion when he fell from a carousel. The unidentified boy was discharged Friday from UC Irvine Medical Center.

Disney employees at the nautical ride called unfounded allegations made Thursday by other employees that disrepair or dry rot may have contributed to the accident.

“If the boat was in serious disrepair, we would not have run it,” said an employee, who works on the ride and asked not to be named.

The state Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) will investigate the accident because an employee was hurt, but no state or county agency oversees the safety of rides at theme parks, according to state and local officials.

The investigation is expected to be lengthy, Cal/OSHA deputy chief Mark Carleson said Friday. Depending on findings, potential penalties could reach $7,000 per violation, or $70,000 if a violation appears to be willful, which seems unlikely in this case, Carleson said.

Reopening the ride, as well as checking other rides, is up to Disney, he said. Cal/OSHA would only close an attraction if it determined a ride posed an immediate danger to the public, such as a structural fault that could make it collapse.

At the park, patrons said the two accidents on Christmas Eve should provide a cautionary note for visitors.

“We forget these rides are made by humans,” said Jeff Greer of Seattle, who was visiting with family members from the Northwest and Huntington Beach. “I would think it raises the awareness level of parents. You can’t walk through the gates and expect Disneyland to assume all responsibility for you and your children.”