The man began climbing the stairs of a water ride Thursday afternoon but then told his wife he wasn't feeling well, Reedy Creek Fire Department Deputy Chief Bo Jones said.

The man turned around and walked back down the stairs. When he got to the bottom, he fell and went into cardiac arrest, Jones said.

The man, who was not identified, was later pronounced dead at Florida Hospital Celebration Health, Jones said.

The man and his family were on the Downhill Double Dipper water slide at Blizzard Beach, Disney spokeswoman Jacquee Polak said.

The Walt Disney World Web site classifies the slide as a "Big Thrills" attraction and says visitors can go up to 25 miles per hour in side-by-side speed slides.

The man's family notified the company that he had died and said the man had a pre-existing heart condition, Polak said.

The death is the 10th involving Disney World rides and water-park attractions since late 2004.