Screams erupt as witnesses watch teen’s fatal fall from thrill ride, Florida cops say
UPDATE: The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services says an investigation revealed “manual adjustments were made to the Orlando Drop Tower resulting in the ride being unsafe.” Those adjustments impacted a seat sensor and led to an ill-fitting seat restraint harness, officials said. An investigation now begins as to “how and why it occurred as we look towards potential penalties along with any potential changes of rules and regulations needed,” state officials said. The Orlando Drop Tower ride will remain closed.
The original story is below:
A teen slipped and fell to his death from a thrill ride at ICON Park in Orlando, Florida, igniting screams of horror from witnesses on the ground, according to video posted on social media.
Tyre Sampson was visiting the park from Missouri with the family of a friend, Sheriff John Mina said at a Friday, March 25, news conference.
The incident happened around 11:15 p.m. March 24, and involved the park’s Orlando Free Fall ride, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said.
“Witnesses on scene reported that someone had fallen from the ride,” officials said. “A 14-year-old male was transported to the hospital, where he died from his injuries.”
An investigation is underway, but it appears to have been an “tragic” accident, Mina said. No charges have been filed.
Among the details still under investigation are if the teen slipped and “whether he was conscious or not“ at the time, Mina said.
A witness posted video of the incident on Facebook, showing the ride was on its way to the ground when it snapped to a stop at the halfway point.
A teen is seen sliding out of his seat and falling feet first. Photos show the teen landed chest down at the base of the ride. (Note: McClatchy News is not showing the video because of its nature.)
Screams and cries for an ambulance are heard as the ride reaches a stop.
Icon Park promotes itself as home to “three of the world’s tallest, free standing, thrill ride attractions.”
The Orlando Free Fall — “the world’s tallest drop tower” — opened in December, according to the park’s website. The ride was closed to the public March 25, due to the incident, according to Spectrum News.
“Thirty riders will be able to enjoy the amazing views of ICON Park and I-Drive as the ride vehicle rotates around the gigantic tower and rises high into the skyline,” the park reports.
“Once the ride vehicle reaches the top, it’ll tilt forward 30 degrees and face the ground for a brief moment before free falling nearly 400 feet at speeds reaching over 75 mph.”
Sheriff’s office officials said their investigation was focused on whether the incident was an accident. A separate investigation into the safety of the ride will be handled by the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Service, officials said.
This story was originally published March 25, 2022 at 6:32 AM with the headline "Screams erupt as witnesses watch teen’s fatal fall from thrill ride, Florida cops say."