Death on Everest ride linked to heart problem

Authorities have revealed that 44-year-old Jeffery Reeb, who was pronounced dead following a ride on Disney's Animal Kingdom's Expedition Everest coaster, suffered from an enlarged heart and died of natural causes. The Orange County Medical Examiner's Office said Wednesday that Jeffery C. Reeb died of dilated cardiomyopathy, or an enlargement of the heart, that had no known cause, and said that Reeb had a history of cardiac arrhythmia — an irregular heartbeat. Of the 500 portable heart defibrillators on Walt Disney World property, only three were in the AK at the time of the incident, and none near the Everest coaster. Disney, however, maintains that its medical emergency protocol is effective. "Our strategy is to put them [defibrillators] in a consistent place where guests and cast members can find them," Disney spokeswoman Andrea Finger said. "We rely on professional paramedics to respond to emergency situations."