Tragedy at Icon Park, Orlando: A boy falls out of his seat and dies during a “Free Fall Ride”, which only opened in December.
A 14-year-old boy fell from a fallout tower at an amusement park in Orlando, Florida. Emergency services received an emergency call from the Icon Park neighborhood late Thursday evening, after which the boy fell out of his “free fall” ride. He was taken to hospital where he died, authorities said. The details of the accident were unknown.
At 131 meters, the park describes its attraction as the tallest free-standing free-fall tower in the world. As it travels, 30 passengers float up into the air and then fall at over 120 kilometers per hour. Sales Director of its Slingshot Group company, John Stine, was shocked by the accident. He expressed his condolences to the boy’s family. The ride and another one owned by the Slingshot Group have closed.
Earlier, according to Stines, there were no problems with the tower, which was opened last December. Employees and witnesses interviewed by the police also did not report any unusual incidents prior to the accident.
I slipped out of the seat
The boy visited Icon Park with a friend’s family, police said. Investigators are now looking to see if it was an accident. So far it appears, Sheriff John Mina said. An eyewitness said on his emergency phone to the emergency center that the boy seemed to slip out of his seat as the gondola slowed to the ground.
There were rumors on social media that the boy was not adequately protected due to his height and weight. The Twitter photo apparently shows that the boy’s safety device (right in the photo) did not seem to fit.
In another Twitter post, user Qween writes that the accountable employee was too busy talking to ensure customer safety.
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