Woman Jumps From Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Ferryboat

A woman jumped from a Walt Disney World ferryboat on Monday evening in what was an apparent suicide attempt, ultimately being rescued and transported to a hospital. The Orlando Sentinel reports the 56-year-old woman was traveling across Seven Seas Lagoon from the Transportation and Ticket Center to the Magic Kingdom theme park when she jumped from the boat’s upper deck into the lagoon at around 7 p.m. She was found by a rescue unit and transported to a local hospital to be treated and receive a mental evaluation.

The woman had boarded the ferry with people she knew before jumping into the lagoon, which reaches a depth of about 14 feet. One Twitter user wrote that they were on the boat and that the woman was rescued “about 300 yards from the ferry.”

It was initially reported that the woman fell, but a spokesman from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the incident was a suicide attempt. Per the New York Daily Post, bystanders and Disney workers had tried to rescue her using flotation devices and ropes, but she did not use any such items, nor allow herself to be rescued per a sheriff’s spokesman.

Though Walt Disney World officials did not offer any further comment on the incident, initial reports surfaced on social media by users, some of whom revealed a rescue team had saved a woman from the lagoon after falling in.

Ferryboats are a common form of transportation around Walt Disney World, especially to and from the Transportation and Ticket Center and the Magic Kingdom park. It is unclear whether the boat the woman was traveling on was going toward or away from the park. After the fall, ferry boat services to and from the Magic Kingdom were reportedly halted and guests were able to uses buses or the Monorail to travel between the park and the Transportation and Ticket Center.

If you or someone you know is struggling, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.

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