Deborah Gail Stone
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Deborah Gail Stone (1956 – July 8, 1974) was a cast member at the America Sings attraction at Disneyland. She is one of over a dozen deaths in the park's history, and is to this day only one of two cast members to die on the job [1]. Her death remains of considerable interest, even more than thirty years later.
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[edit] Death
Upon entry, cast members would usher guests into a rotating stage, one of several. Cast members would use intermissions to move between stages as they rotated into place for the next act. During one such rotation, Stone, a novice to the attraction that at the time had only been open for three weeks, ended up caught between an interior wall and that of the moving platform. It is not known whether this was a result of inadequate training or a simple misstep on her part. Trapped by the rotating stage, she was crushed to death.
[edit] Aftermath
The ride was halted when other cast members were alerted of her screams by guests. Her death led to the closure of the attraction for two days while new warning lights were installed. The stage on which she died remained closed for a year. Breakaway safety walls were one of several features installed in an attempt to increase safety.
Today, the site of America Sings is home of Innoventions.
