Disney Employee Rescues Audience from 400-Pound Prop During Live Show

Incident at Walt Disney World

An employee at Walt Disney World is "recovering" after being injured by a 400-pound (approximately 180 kg) prop during an incident captured on camera, the Florida theme park has confirmed. The incident occurred during the "Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!" as part of a live reenactment of a famous scene from the film.

Video footage shows the prop rolling toward the audience, while an employee jumps in its path, preventing it from hitting the crowd. "We are focused on supporting our employee, who is in recovery," Disney stated in a Wednesday release. "Safety is at the core of what we do, and this aspect of the show will be modified as our safety team completes a review of the events that occurred."

The scene from the 1981 film "Raiders of the Lost Ark" features Indiana Jones—played by Harrison Ford—running away from a massive boulder triggered by a trap mechanism before leaping to safety. The footage from Tuesday shows the boulder bouncing off its track and heading toward the audience, while the employee intervenes and is knocked to the ground. He was unable to get up immediately, prompting other colleagues to rush to his aid.

According to a park blog, the boulder is made of rubber and weighs approximately 400 pounds. A Disney spokesperson did not confirm that the boulder was the cause of the incident but stated to CBS News that "a prop went off its track." A witness told People magazine that the employee "saved" the audience from more serious harm. "It was a crazy experience and definitely something we'll remember," he added.