A teenager died while riding an Orlando-area drop tower attraction, according to Fox 35, Orlando.
Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the attraction at Icon Park at 11:12 p.m. Thursday. The 14-year-old, whose name has not been released, was taken to the Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and pronounced dead.
What they’re saying: An investigation into the incident is still underway, said John Stine, sales director with the Slingshot Group of Companies, which owns the attraction, per the Orlando Sentinel. The ride will stay closed until the investigation is concluded.
“We are devastated that this happened, and our hearts go out to the family,” Stine said. “We are cooperating with all other investigations at this time to get to the bottom of what happened.”
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will have inspectors at the site on Friday, a department spokesperson told CNN.
This department is responsible for inspecting all amusement park rides in Florida unless the park has more than 1,000 employees and full-time inspectors.
Bystander’s view: “At first we thought it was a piece of the ride or whatever until we got a little closer and it was a person laying on the ground,” Montrey Williams, who said he witnessed the tragedy, told Fox 35, Orlando. “Everyone was just panicking and screaming.”
Details: The Orlando Free Fall is 430 feet high and takes up to 30 riders to the top.
“Once the ride vehicle reaches the top, it’ll tilt forward 30 degrees and face the ground before free falling nearly 400 feet at speeds reaching over 75 mph,” Icon Park’s website previously stated, per the report.