A 14-year-old boy died after he fell Thursday night from a drop tower amusement ride that recently opened at the Orlando area’s ICON Park entertainment complex, authorities said.
Tyre Sampson, 14, of St. Louis, Missouri, fell from the Orlando FreeFall ride, described by its operators as the world’s tallest freestanding drop tower, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said.
In video circulating on social media that shows the incident, the boy falls from his seat about five seconds into the ride’s drop down the tower, as the vehicle decelerates before it reaches the ground.
Deputies were called to ICON Park around 11 p.m. Sampson was taken to a hospital, where he died from his injuries, the sheriff’s office said. Details about what led to the fall were not immediately released.
Sheriff’s investigators will determine whether the incident was an accident or intentional, and from an initial investigation, “it appears to be a terrible tragedy,” Orange County Sheriff John Mina said.
Officials with ICON Park, the theme park that houses the Free Fall, along with other attractions such as The Wheel and Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, released a statement Friday night about the tragic death of Tyre Sampson.
“Tonight, the ICON Park family is grieving because of the tragedy involving Tyre Sampson. Our heartfelt thoughts are with his family and friends. ICON Park is committed to being a place where families can spend quality time together in a safe and fun space. We are in close coordination and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement and regulators,” the statement read.
SlingShot Group, the operator of the Orlando FreeFall said, “We are heartbroken with the incident that took the life of one of our guests. We extend our condolences and deepest sympathy to his family and friends. We are working with the Sheriff’s Office and ride officials on a full investigation. The Orlando FreeFall will be closed until further notice.”
The FreeFall is a 430-foot-tall tower and ride, with a vehicle encircling the tower that takes up to 30 riders to the structure’s top. When the vehicle reaches the top, “it’ll tilt forward 30 degrees and face the ground before free-falling nearly 400 feet at speeds reaching over 75 mph,” ICON Park’s website says.
The ride opened around Christmas last year, the company said.
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