Boy, 14, dies after plunging from 400ft drop tower ride in Orlando

Boy, 14, dies after slipping out of 430ft drop tower ride as it hurtled to earth at 75mph at Orlando’s ICON park: Second death at park in two years

  • A 14-year-old fell from a drop tower ride at the ICON park in Orlando on Thursday
  • Teen was taken to hospital but died from his injuries, Orange County police said
  • Orlando Free Fall rotates around a central tower before plummeting downwards
  • The ride is a new addition to the park and only opened in December last year
  • It’s unclear what the minimum height restriction is, or if the boy was wearing a harness when he slipped out 
  • The park has not commented on the tragedy and the boy has not been named
  • In 2020, an employee died fixing another ride at the same attraction park  

A 14-year-old boy has died after slipping out from his seat on the 400ft drop Orlando Free Fall ride at Orlando’s ICON theme park. 

Horrifying footage captured his fall from the ride as onlookers watched on Thursday night. The boy has not yet been identified. 

It’s unclear what the minimum height restriction for the ride is. It has not been at the park long – it opened in December.  

It is the second accident at the park in two years. In 2020, a park employee died while working on the StarFlyer ride.  

The teen, who has not yet been identified, was taken to hospital but succumbed to his injuries, Orange County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.

A teenager has died after falling from a drop ride at ICON theme park on International Drive in Orlando, Florida just after 11pm on Thursday

The teen, who has not yet been identified, was taken to hospital but succumbed to his injuries, Orange County Sheriff’s Office confirmed

The ride, the Orlando Free Fall, opened in December 2021, stands at 430ft tall and can accommodate up to 30 people. It plunges to the ground at 75 miles per hour and rotates around a central tower as it rises. 

After it reaches the top, riders tilt forward and face the ground briefly before free-falling at approximately 75 miles per hour. 

It was not immediately clear how the teenager became free from the ride’s seat belt or how many people were on the tower at the time.  

ICON Park on International Drive has not yet commented on the tragedy. Police have opened an investigation into the incident. 

The ride is owned and operated by The SlingShot  Group whose CEO told WESH 2, a local NBC outlet: ‘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.’ 

It comes less than two years after a park employee died after falling 200 feet from the Orlando StarFlyer attraction.  

A 21-year-old worker was performing a safety inspection on the StarFlyer ride in Orlando on September 14 when he fell 200 feet to his death

The 21-year-old employee was performing a safety check about halfway up the 450-foot-tall ride when he plummeted to his death just before 8am on September 14 2020. 

The worker struck a platform below the ride at ICON Park on International Drive in Orlando and went into cardiac arrest, according to first responders who were called to the scene.

The man was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead from his injuries.

The swing ride opened to the public in 2018. According to the description on the attraction’s official site, StarFlyer has no age limit and no weight limit, and the minimum height required to go on the ride is just 44 inches.

The ride is made up of 24 double seats that travel up and down and around the giant tower for 3-4 minutes.

Source: Read Full Article