Authorities in Florida have confirmed the death of a teenager who lost his life after falling from a ride at a theme park.
The 14-year-old had been on the Orlando Free Fall attraction at ICON Park on International Drive when the incident took place late last night (24 March).
The ride opened in December and is described as the world's tallest free-standing drop tower, which takes up to 30 guests high into the air before dropping 400 feet at 70mph. As it rises, the vehicle rotates around a central tower before tilting forward to allow riders to face the ground ahead of the free-fall.
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It was as the ride was dropping that the teenager was seen falling from it, prompting witnesses in the area to call emergency services. Several law enforcement officers, firefighters and paramedics responded to the scene.
Orange County Sheriff’s Office said the incident took place at around 11:10pm local time, after which the teenager was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.
Montrey Williams, a witness who was in the area at the time, recalled the incident to Fox 35 News and said at first onlookers 'thought it was a piece of the ride or whatever' that had fallen from the tower, 'until we got a little closer and it was a person laying on the ground'.
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"Everyone was just panicking and screaming," Williams added. Witnesses also said they could see the boy's parents panicking as they watched.
The circumstances around the boy falling from the drop tower are currently unknown, but the sheriff's office has launched an investigation to determine what happened.
Authorities are working with The SlingShot Group, which operates the drop tower, in the investigation. John Stine, director of sales and marketing for The SlingShot Group, told Fox 35 the company operates the ride 'with all the safety precautions in mind'.
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"Everything is in place and this is why we are doing this investigation," he said.
In a statement cited by Click Orlando, Stine also said: "Our hearts go out to the family of this young man," and confirmed the ride will remain closed indefinitely as a result of the incident.
A news release shared amid the opening of the ride described how it stood at '430 feet, making it the world’s tallest free-standing drop tower' and said it allowed riders to 'embrace the beautiful sites of ICON Park and I-Drive as the ride vehicle rotates around the gigantic tower and rises high into the skyline'.
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Topics: US News
Emily Brown