ICON Park in Orlando.Photo: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
A 14-year-old boy died after falling from an amusement park ride on Thursday night, according to authorities.
Police arrived at the Orlando Free Fall attraction at ICON Park at 11:12 p.m. after receiving a 911 call, according to a statement from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
“Witnesses on scene reported that someone had fallen from the ride,” police said.
The teenager, who wasidentifiedon Friday as Tyre Sampson of Missouri, was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, officials said.
Additional information about the incident is not yet available. “This death investigation is in its very early stages,” police said.
“Words can’t say how we feel,” John Stine, a spokesperson for The SlingShot Group, which owns and operates the ride, said in a statement according toNBC News. The outlet also reported that Stine said the boy was wearing a safety harness at the time of the incident.
“Our hearts go out to the family of this young man and that’s all we can say at this time,” added Stine, who did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.Stine went on to say that the Orlando Free Fall will be closed indefinitely, per theAssociated Press.
“We operate the ride with all the safety precautions in mind. Everything is in place. And this is why we’re doing this investigation,” Stine told the news agency.
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“Climb aboard this thrilling attraction to get a birds eye view of your favorite spots in Central Florida before tilting you 30 degrees forward anddropping you at over 75 mph,” they wrote on social media back in February, shortly after the attraction, which is 430 feet tall, opened in late December.
Although information about the ride on thepark’s websiteno longer appears to be available, apress releasestated that it can carry 30 riders at a time.
ICON Park did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
“Are you sure you checked him?” one crew member can be heard asking afterwards in the clip, to which others appeared to say that they had.
A park employee previously died on a different ride in the park in 2020 while conducting a safety check, reported theOrlandoSentinel.
source: people.com
