Disney Fined in Death of Worker

The state issued two citations -- one of them serious -- and fined the Disneyland Resort $18,350 Wednesday in the death last spring of an employee who fell 60 feet while working inside a theater at California Adventure.

Stage technician Christopher Bowman, 36, died in May, having never regained consciousness from head injuries he suffered when he tumbled from a catwalk in the Hyperion Theater. He had been prepping the “magic carpet” special effect for the Aladdin show when he fell in late April.

After a nearly six-month investigation, officials with the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health hand-delivered two citations to Disney officials.

The most serious was for not providing Bowman with a safe work platform, agency spokesman Dean Fryer said. That penalty is $18,000.

Bowman’s work on the lights caused him to reach outside the railing, Fryer said. The park has 15 days to pay the fine or contest the findings, and until Nov. 2 to fix the problem.

The state also fined the park $350 because Bowman was not wearing a properly certified safety harness.

Bowman was wearing a safety harness, but he did not have it affixed to a location, Fryer said.

Disneyland Resort spokesman Bob Tucker said the company is reviewing the citations and will respond to the state by the deadlines.