Authorities say a 14-year-old boy died after he fell from a ride at an Orlando amusement park Thursday night.
“In a statement, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to the Orlando Free Fall attraction at ICON Park just after 11 p.m. Thursday after receiving a 911 call,” NBC News reported.
After being taken to Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando, he died from his injuries, WESH noted. Authorities have yet to release the teen’s identity.
The sheriff’s office said that witnesses reported seeing a person fall from the ride.
A 14-year-old boy has died after falling from a ride at ICON Park in Orlando, Florida, authorities say. https://t.co/MjRgl4sl3o
— NBC News (@NBCNews) March 25, 2022
Video of the incident, shared by Today, appears to show a passenger asking the crew question about seatbelts prior to the ride’s start.
“Why doesn’t this have like the little clicky click, like the seatbelt?” the passenger seems to ask.
Following the incident, the video appears to show frantic employees and bystanders.
The Orange County Sheriff's Department released new details about a 14-year-old boy who died Thursday after falling from a ride at Icon Park in Orlando, Florida. https://t.co/naYII04Kno
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) March 25, 2022
“Call an ambulance!” someone seems to yell.
“You guys are sure you checked him?” a crew member seems to ask.
An October 2021 press release from ICON Park stated the Orlando Free Fall was set to open in December of last year and “stand at 430 feet, making it the world’s tallest free-standing drop tower.” It was to seat 30 people.
“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,” the park said.
Sales and Marketing Director John Stine of the Slingshot Group of Companies, which owns and operates the Orlando Free Fall, spoke following the incident.
“Words can’t say how we feel,” Stine said per NBC News. “Our hearts go out to the family of this young man and that’s all we can say at this time.”
“We operate the ride with all the safety precautions in mind. Everything is in place. And this is why we’re doing this investigation. We are working with those people investigating at this point,” he noted per WESH.
He added that the ride and another attraction called Slingshot would be indefinitely closed, WESH said.
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