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Who runs ICON? Boy, 14, dies after falling from 400ft drop tower ride at Orlando park

Shocking footage captured the teenager falling from the ride as horrified onlookers watched on March 24
UPDATED MAR 25, 2022
Disturbing footage captured the unidentified teenager (R) falling as horrified onlookers watched on March 24 (Twitter)
Disturbing footage captured the unidentified teenager (R) falling as horrified onlookers watched on March 24 (Twitter)

The death of a 14-year-old boy who slipped out of his seat from the 400ft-drop Orlando Free Fall ride at Orlando's ICON theme park has sparked an interest in the operators of the recreational establishment.

Shocking footage captured the teenager, who was later identified as Tyre Sampson, falling from the ride horrified onlookers on Thursday night, March 24. The minimum height restriction for the ride, which was installed in December last year, is unclear. The Orange County Sheriff's Office confirmed that the teen was rushed to hospital but died as a result of his injuries. That said, this is the second accident at the park in two years, with a park employee plummeting to his death while working on the StarFlyer ride in 2020.

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"It appears to be a terrible tragedy," Orange County Sheriff John Mina said during a news conference on Friday, but says the investigation is still open. "Our prayers and thoughts are with the family." Mina said the boy, Tyre Sampson, was visiting Orlando from his home in Missouri with another family in Central Florida.

"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," said Montrey Williams, who witnessed the tragedy. "Everyone was just panicking and screaming."

The Orlando Free Fall stands at 430ft tall and can reportedly accommodate up to 30 people. The ride plunges to the ground at 75 miles an hour and rotates around a central tower as it rises. Riders tilt forward and face the ground for a brief moment after reaching the top, and then experience a free fall. Authorities are yet to determine how the teen was released from the ride's seat belt and how many people were on the tower at the time. While an investigation into the incident is underway, park authorities are yet to comment on the tragedy.



 

Who runs ICON?

The ICON park is owned and operated by The SlingShot Group. "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," John Stine, Director of Sales and Marketing at The Slingshot Group, told NBC. He said the Orlando Free Fall will be shut down indefinitely, but other attractions at ICON Park are planned to remain open.



 

It's worth noting that the Slingshot Group of Companies has been operating amusement rides in Florida since 2000, with locations in popular Florida destinations such as Orlando, Daytona Beach, Panama City Beach, and Kissimmee. The group operates several thrill rides including the Slingshot, The Vomatron, and Starflyer. Last year, ICON Park CEO and President Chris Jaskiewicz was named i4 Business Magazine’s Tourism Business Leader of the Year, featured in Orlando Magazine’s 'Orlando’s 50 Most Powerful People', and even won an Orlando Business Journal CEO of the Year. 



 

As mentioned, the 14-year-old's death comes less than two years after a park employee fell 200 feet to his death from the Orlando StarFlyer ride. The 21-year-old was reportedly performing a safety check about halfway up the 450-foot-tall ride when he plunged to his death in the early hours of September 14, 2020. According to first responders at the scene, the employee hit a platform below the ride and went into cardiac arrest. He was rushed to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival. StarFlyer, which was opened to the public in 2018, reportedly has no age or weight limit, and the minimum height requirement for the attraction is just 44 inches. The ride consists of 24 double seats that travel up and down and around the massive tower for about 3 to 4 minutes.

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