In a video circulating on social media that allegedly shows the incident, a person falls from his seat about five seconds into his fall while walking around the tower, as the vehicle slows down before reaching the ground. The deputies were invited to ICON Park around 11 p.m. Sampson was taken to hospital, where he died of his injuries, the sheriff’s office said. Details of what led to the fall were not immediately released. Sheriff’s investigators will determine if the incident was accidental or deliberate, and from an initial investigation, “it appears to be a terrible tragedy,” said Orange County Sheriff John Mina. Sampson was an honorary student and an aspiring footballer, Yarnell Sampson’s father told CNN. Tire was visiting Orlando with his football team for the spring break, his father said. His son “was a very good young man. He was a big teddy bear, a kind giant,” said Elder Sampson, adding that Tire was a “kind-hearted kid” who gave the shirt from his back to anyone who needed it. While holding back tears, Sampson told CNN he saw the video of his son’s death on Facebook. “I saw my son’s video fall down and I could not believe it. My life stopped,” Sampson said.
Passengers tied to seats for a fall of almost 400 feet
The FreeFall is a 430-foot tower and walkway, with a vehicle encircling the tower that carries up to 30 riders to the top of the structure. When the vehicle reaches the top, “it will tilt forward 30 degrees and look to the ground before dropping nearly 400 feet freely at speeds in excess of 75 mph,” says the ICON Park website. The route has been open for a few months. The route underwent a security inspection in December before being allowed to open, according to a security inspection report obtained by CNN. The document from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) noted that the Drop Tower underwent an inspection on December 20, 2021. No deficiencies were reported in the report. The route was scheduled to be re-inspected by FDACS in June, in the middle of the permit year, according to the department. FDACS also stated that the owner / manager is responsible for inspecting the amusement park prior to the opening of each operating day. The boy was insured at the location of the route, an employee of the company performing the trip told Spectrum News 13. “Yes (he was locked in the seat). We know that right now. So again, we operate the route with all safety precautions in mind and everything is in place and that is why we are doing research.” John Stine, sales and marketing director for the Slingshot Group, which manages the route and two more in the park, told Spectrum News 13. Stine declined to answer reporters’ questions Friday morning about what led to the crash. FreeFall will remain closed “until further notice,” Slingshot Group spokeswoman Brooke Jones said Friday morning. “We are devastated by the incident that cost the life of one of our guests. We express our condolences and our deepest condolences to his family and friends. We are working with the Sheriff’s Office and the cavalry officials for a full investigation,” he said. Jones. ICON Park issued a statement saying “a tragedy happened last night at the Orlando FreeFall and our hearts are heavy with grief”. “The owner of the attraction is cooperating fully with the authorities and ICON Park is doing everything we can to help,” the statement said.
The state service is investigating
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will investigate the route and its safety, Mina said. The agency has a responsibility across the state to inspect all amusement rides in Florida, except those in large parks that have more than 1,000 employees and have full-time staff inspectors. Its inspectors will be at the scene on Friday “with our investigation ongoing,” department spokeswoman Caroline Stonecipher told CNN. The sheriff’s office has not received any previous complaints about the route, Mina said. However, he stressed that the State Department of Agriculture will be responsible for examining any such complaints. CNN looked up further comments and FreeFall Driving Inspection files from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
What the video shows
The video that supposedly shows the incident is recorded from the ground, just outside the gate of the attraction. Before the ride begins, the riders sit in their seats, with a leash on their shoulders and chest, the video shows. The vehicle finally starts its ascent. About two and a half minutes later the descent begins. About five seconds after falling – perhaps two-thirds below the tower – a person falls from one of the seats as the vehicle slows down. People are screaming and the camera shows a body on the brick floor at the base of the tower. “Call the ambulance! It just fell,” someone shouts. As the route descends to ground level, riders beg the workers to let them go. An employee shows up and asks the attendants if they are sure they have checked the rider. They say they did. Spectrum News 13 asked Stine about the leash. “Our seat belt over the rider’s chest is adequate, and we will obviously look into it further. We will work with all authorities and that is all we can share at this point,” Stine was quoted as saying. Spectrum News 13. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story mistyped the victim’s name based on information from authorities. CNN’s Melissa Alonso, Leyla Santiago, Sara Weisfeldt and Caroll Alvarado contributed to this report.
