According to a recent 911 call, 14-year-old Tyre Sampson was “not secured” before plummeting to his death on Thursday night.
According to Orange County Sheriff John Mina, Samson was attending the park with his friend ‘s family from Missouri. Around 11 p.m., he fell from the “Orlando Free-Fall” ride at Orlando’s ICON Park. He was taken to Arnold Palmer Hospital, where he died a short time later.
The caller can be heard saying in the 911 call that the ride’s employees “didn’t secure the seatbelt on him.”
The ride describes itself as the “world’s tallest freestanding drop tower,” and it is set to launch in December 2021. It has a height of 430 feet and a maximum capacity of 30 riders.
According to John Stine, director of marketing and sales for the Slingshot Group of Companies, the ride’s owner and operator, the teen was secured in a safety harness prior to the fall.
“We operate the ride with all the safety precaution in mind,” Stine explained.
According to the sheriff, authorities are still trying to figure out if the teen fell out of his seat and if he lost consciousness during the fall.
