‘He was unresponsive’: Audio released as man dies following Epic Universe rollercoaster

New details, including dispatch audio, have been released after a man died on the Stardust Racers rollercoaster at Universal’s Epic Universe theme park.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office has now released a partially redacted incident report, along with two short clips of dispatch audio between first responders and emergency teams.

The man who died has been identified as 32-year-old Kevin Rodriguez Zavala. He became unresponsive on the ride last Wednesday night and was later pronounced dead at the hospital. The Medical Examiner confirmed his cause of death as “multiple blunt force injuries” and ruled it an accident.

Witnesses recalled the incident and one person reported saw Zavala “completely slouched over” in the ride’s restraints.

So, what does the incident report say?

According to Fox 35, the report revealed that Zavala had a pre-existing spinal cord injury and was taking medication. His girlfriend of 10 years told deputies that he had this condition and was on medication at the time of riding Stardust Racers. It is not clear if this played any role in the incident, as the full autopsy results have not yet been released.

Deputies noted that when they arrived on the scene, members of Orange County Fire Rescue and Universal Health Services were already performing CPR on Zavala on the loading platform, right beside one of the coaster vehicles. CPR continued as he was transported by ambulance to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead just under an hour later.

Dispatch audio records first responders coordinating

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The released audio clips, as reported by News 6, captured deputies and dispatchers coordinating the emergency response. The dispatch audio noted that Zavala had a “laceration” on his body. Officials described Zavala as unresponsive, confirmed that CPR was being performed, and discussed his transport to the hospital.

No 911 calls were made

The Sheriff’s Office also confirmed that it received no 911 calls about the incident. This was likely because loose items such as mobile phones are not allowed on Stardust Racers. Guests must place them in lockers and also go through a metal detector before boarding.

Because of that, none of the riders or people in the queue could directly phone for help. The emergency response came entirely from staff already at the ride.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said one of its inspectors has been on site at Epic Universe. In a statement, the agency confirmed that Universal has been fully cooperative and the investigation is still ongoing.

For more news, like The Tab on Facebook. Featured image via Patrick Connolly/TNS via ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock.