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A 14-year-old boy has died after falling from the Free Fall ride at ICON Park in Orlando, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.It happened around 11 p.m. on Thursday.The boy was taken to Arnold Palmer Hospital, where he died from his injuries.A video aired by NBC Today appears to show ride passengers discussing issues with seat restraints on Thursday night. The ride is then seen heading up the tower before someone is later seen falling from the ride.”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,” said John Stine, sales director for the Slingshot Group which operates the ride. Free Fall and Sling Shot, an adjacent ride run, will be closed indefinitely. ICON Park’s Free Fall is the world’s tallest free-standing drop tower, and the ride reaches about 75 miles per hour. The ride opened late last year and stands at 430-feet tall. It holds 30 passengers that are rotated around the tower and tilted towards the ground before entering free fall. The Associated Press contributed to this article.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
A 14-year-old boy has died after falling from the Free Fall ride at ICON Park in Orlando, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
It happened around 11 p.m. on Thursday.
The boy was taken to Arnold Palmer Hospital, where he died from his injuries.
A video aired by NBC Today appears to show ride passengers discussing issues with seat restraints on Thursday night. The ride is then seen heading up the tower before someone is later seen falling from the ride.
“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,” said John Stine, sales director for the Slingshot Group which operates the ride. Free Fall and Sling Shot, an adjacent ride run, will be closed indefinitely.
ICON Park’s Free Fall is the world’s tallest free-standing drop tower, and the ride reaches about 75 miles per hour. The ride opened late last year and stands at 430-feet tall. It holds 30 passengers that are rotated around the tower and tilted towards the ground before entering free fall.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.