Orlando, Florida – A 14-year-old died after falling from a ride in a Florida amusement park, state officials reported.
The incident happened on Thursday at around 11:00 p.m. when the teenager went on the Orlando Free Fall ride at ICON Park, said the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
After the incident, the authorities immediately dialed 911 for help. The investigation is currently underway. However, an eyewitness reported that “someone had fallen from the ride,” said the sheriff’s office.
“The Orange County Sheriff’s Office says they received 911 calls about an emergency at the “Orlando Free Fall” at ICON Park just after 11 p.m. on Thursday night after witnesses reported seeing a person fall from the ride to the ground,” Yahoo News Tweeted.
The teenage boy was driven to the Arnold Palmer Hospital where he couldn’t hold his breath for long and died, stated the officials. The boy’s identity has not been released yet.
“According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, a 14-year-old boy fell from the ride and was taken to an area hospital, where he later died,” FOX29WFLX Tweeted.
“Words can’t say how we feel,” said the sales and marketing director of Slingshot Group of Companies, John Stine, who is also the owner of the ride. “Our hearts go out to the family of this young man and that’s all we can say.
Allegedly, the Orlando Free Fall ride can lift to 430 feet from the ground, carry 30 riders, and drops at a speed of 75 miles per hour, according to the park’s official website.
The free-standing drops tower spins around a huge tower after reaching its peak, and the riders are supposed to sit facing the ground.
at this time,” he added.
“We operate the ride with all the safety precautions in mind,” said Stine, adding that the teenager was in a safety harness during the ride when the incident happened.
“The ride, which is currently closed, will open when there’s appropriate time,” he added.
The park did not respond to the news agencies’ comments’ request.
Back in 2020, a worker named Jacob Kaminsky, fell from a ride while performing some maintenance tasks at the same park. The 21-year-old fell from 60 feet height and died at the spot, as per the Orlando Sentinel.
