ORLANDO, Fla. -- A 4-year-old boy on a family vacation died Monday afternoon after he passed out on a Disney World ride at Epcot.

SLIDESHOW PICTURES: GO INSIDE MISSION: SPACE

The incident happened around 3:30 p.m. on the Mission: SPACE ride, according to Disney officials. The ride spins passengers on a multi-armed centrifuge to simulate a launch into space. It exerts more than twice the normal force of gravity on occupants.

SLIDESHOW: Go Inside Mission: SPACE

Daudi Bamuwamye, 4, reportedly passed out on the ride and paramedics responded. Witnesses reported seeing Daudi's mother, Agnes, carry him outside to a nearby bench. Paramedics and a Disney worker tried to revive the child, but could not save him. He was prounounced dead at 5 p.m. at Celebration Hospital.

A sheriff's report said the mother noticed the boy's body was rigid and that his legs were stretched straight out. She told detectives that she thought the ride was frightening him so she took his hand to reassure him.

Officials shut down the ride for the rest of the day Tuesday. It reopened today after Disney engineers determined it was operating normally.

Mission: SPACE Raw Video -- See What Riders See

Warning signs advise pregnant women not to go on the ride, caution about motion sickness and ban children shorter than 44 inches. An audio recording and a video also warn riders of the risks. The local sheriff's department said the boy met the height restriction.

The boy was on vacation from Pennsylvania with his family. He was on the ride with his mother and sister. A cause of death could not be immediately determined and an autopsy is expected to be performed today.

Disney released a statement saying, "We are providing support to the family and doing everything we can help them at this time." The statement also said, "The safety of our guests and cast remains our top priority."

Riders Have Been Hospitalized Before

During an eight-month period that ended last year, six people over age 55 were taken to the hospital for chest pain and nausea after riding Mission: SPACE, a $100 million attaction that is one of Disney World's most popular. It was the most hospital visits for a single ride since Florida's major theme parks agreed in 2001 to report any serious injuries to the state.

Updated figures were not immediately available. Although the 2004 reports showed no major injuries or illnesses from Mission: SPACE, the hospital visits came up in discussions with state officials who consult annually with park officials about safety.

Mission: SPACE opened in October 2003.

One Other Death This Year

One other death was reported at Disney World this year.

Gloria Land, 77, of St. Paul, Minn., who was in poor health from diabetes and several ministrokes, lost consciousness in February after going on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at the Magic Kingdom. She was pronounced dead at a hospital.

"The death was not unexpected," the medical examiner's report said.

Stay with Local10.com for updates on this developing story.