Home » Theme Parks

Three Guests in Three Months Found Unresponsive at Florida Theme Park Pool, With Two Deaths

in SeaWorld, Theme Parks

Posted on by Rick Lye 2 Comments
A man and a woman, both wearing wetsuits with yellow stripes, are swimming toward a waterfall with a rocky backdrop and lush greenery at a Florida Theme Park. Other people can be seen in the water and near the waterfall.

Credit: Discovery Cove

For the second time in three months, workers at Discovery Cove Orlando found an unresponsive guest in their swimmer pool. The unidentified man in his 60s was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Aerial view of a tropical aquatic park with clear blue water, rocks, and lush greenery. Inset image shows first responders helping a person on a stretcher. The two contrasting scenes indicate an emergency occurred at the otherwise tranquil location.
Credit: Inside the Magic

This incident comes on the heels of the death of  13-year-old Anna Beaumont, who was also found unresponsive in a pool at Discovery Cove in late May. The medical examiner said that Anna Beaumont’s cause of death was drowning.

At the time of her death, Discovery Cove issued a statement saying:

Our staff responded to an emergency involving a guest yesterday. Our team provided care and contacted Orange County Fire & Rescue. When emergency personnel arrived, they took over care and transported the guest to a nearby hospital.

Out of respect for privacy of our guests, we do not provide any health information. Our thoughts are with this family.

Officials from Discovery Cove issues nearly the same statement after this latest incident. There have been no further details about the potential cause of the man’s death or details about what led up to his death at the Orlando theme park.

A third guest was found unresponsive in a Discovery Cove pool in early July. The man in his 50s was taken to a local hospital where he survived a near drowning.

Discovery Cove Orlando is the sister park to SeaWorld Orlando and Aquatic Orlando and is located adjacent to both parks. However, Discovery Cove only allows 1,300 guest reservations daily, which is meant to give the park a sense of exclusivity and luxury.

According to its website, Discovery Cove offers “a unique all-inclusive day resort where you and your family will experience exciting animal encounters in a breathtaking tropical atmosphere.” The theme park also offers guests all they can eat and drink, including alcoholic beverages for adults, throughout their day at the park.

Discovery Cove also allows guests to swim with dolphins. The theme park has five separate pools, and it is unclear which pool the man was found unresponsive in. It is also unclear if he was found in the same pool as Anna Beaumont.

The Orange County Deputies did not release any information about the man’s age or cause of death until they notified his family.

After two deaths in three months, it is also unclear what steps Discovery Cove is taking to ensure this doesn’t happen again. The park has certified American Red Cross lifeguards trained in CPR at all its pools.

Discovery Cove is owned by United Parks and Resorts, which also owns SeaWorld, Sesame Place, and Busch Gardens Parks. 

We will continue to update this story as new developments become available.

in SeaWorld, Theme Parks

Tagged:SeaWorld OrlandoTheme Park Accident

Rick Lye

Rick is an avid Disney fan. He first went to Disney World in 1986 with his parents and has been hooked ever since. Rick is married to another Disney fan and is in the process of turning his two children into fans as well. When he is not creating new Disney adventures, he loves to watch the New York Yankees and hang out with his dog, Buster. In the fall, you will catch him cheering for his beloved NY Giants.

View Comments (2)