Mark Priest, Captain Jack's Pirate Tutorial, dies after performance fall

Disney performer dies days after performance fall

Willoughby Mariano and Jason Garcia

Sentinel Staff Writers

11:58 PM EDT, August 10, 2009


A performer at Walt Disney World and theater-community mainstay died Monday, four days after he was injured during a show at the Magic Kingdom.

Mark Priest, 47, fell Thursday while playing in "Captain Jack's Pirate Tutorial," an interactive show in which actors lead guests through a series of pirate-skills tests, a Disney spokeswoman said.

Priest, who was in a mock sword fight, stumbled on a wet spot at the show's location, near Pirates of the Caribbean, and then banged into a wall, said friend Jeffrey Breslauer. His injuries included a broken vertebra in his neck and a cut that required 55 stitches to his scalp.

Priest was moved out of intensive care and appeared to be improving, but he experienced complications Monday and died at Florida Hospital Orlando, friends said. An official cause of death has not been determined.
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Disney performer dies days after performance fall