ORLANDO, Fla.— A second ride has been temporarily closed at ICON Park, where a teen fell to his death from a drop tower ride late last week.
What You Need To Know
- Slingshot Group has closed its other ride at ICON Park
- The closure comes after a teen died after falling from the Orlando Free Fall last week
- An investigation into the incident is currently underway
The SlingShot Group, which operates the Orlando FreeFall, has suspended operations of its Orlando Slingshot ride at the complex.
“We are heartbroken by the loss of Tyre Sampson and absolutely devastated for his family and loved ones,” Slingshot Group CEO Ritchie Armstrong said in a statement sent to Spectrum News. “We have suspended the operations of the Free Fall ride and the Slingshot ride at ICON Park. We are fully cooperating with authorities at the state and local levels who are investigating this tragic incident.”
“We plan on providing additional information in the coming days, as we learn more,” Armstrong added.
The move comes after ICON Park sent a request to the company, demanding that both rides be closed until they can be proven “safe for the public.”
On Thursday night, deputies responded to ICON Park after receiving a 911 call about a person falling from the ride. The person, identified as 14-year-old Tyre Sampson, was taken to a hospital where he died.
The ride was closed following the incident, and an investigation into Tyre’s death is ongoing.
Earlier this week, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services released documents related to the investigation, including a preliminary accident report and the operation manual for the Free Fall.
The manual reveals that the maximum rider weight for the FreeFall is 130 kilograms or about 287 pounds. Tyre, according to his family, weighed over 300 pounds.
Inspectors and authorities have been seen at the ride in recent days. On Tuesday, a fence with black netting was put up around the base of the ride.
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