Sheriff’s officials and emergency crews responded to a call late Thursday on the Orlando Free Fall ride, which opened late last year at Icon Park on the city’s International Drive. The teenager was identified Friday as Tyre Samson, who was visiting central Florida from Missouri with a friend’s family. Detectives investigating the death will look into whether it was intentional or accidental, said Orange County Sheriff John Mina. “It just seems like a terrible tragedy,” Mina said. “We will see what happens next.” Sampson was taken to hospital, where he died, sheriff officials said. No further details were immediately given about the teenager or the incident. A man who saw what happened told a 911 sender that Sampson appeared to be slipping out of his seat when the track braked as he approached the bottom. “Bam jumped straight out of his chair and fell,” the man told 911. “It was the biggest smack I’ve ever heard in my life.” “I saw him hit the ground.” A woman who called 911 told a sender that Sampson was frowning, not responding and appeared to have broken his arms and legs. Another man told a 911 sender that the teen had no pulse. A video aired on NBC Today Friday morning show seems to show passengers on the route discussing issues with seat restraint Thursday night. The walk then began its hike to the tower before seeing someone later fall off the walk. “We are deeply saddened by what has happened and our hearts go out to this young man’s family,” John Stine, sales manager for Slingshot Group, which owns the ride, told the Associated Press on Friday morning. The Free Fall route and an adjacent route, the Sling Shot, have been closed indefinitely, Stine said. His company runs both routes in Icon Park. “We are working with all the other investigations right now to find out what happened,” Stein said. Mr Stine said no problems had been reported in the past with the Free Fall route, which opened last December. Officers and witnesses questioned by detectives did not report any problems in advance. “Everything seemed to be okay and normal,” Mr Mina said. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which oversees amusement park inspections with the exception of the state’s largest theme parks, launched an investigation and inspectors were on the spot Friday, spokeswoman Caroline Stoneciper said in an email. According to a report from the state service, the route had its initial permit inspection on December 20, 2021 and no problems were identified. The next semi-annual inspection of the route was not for several more months. “The route will be closed for the immediate future and will not be reopened until all questions have been answered as part of the ongoing FDACS investigation,” the report said. The route has shoulder straps, with two handles at chest height, which the riders pull down and then release automatically at the end of the route. An inspector on Friday could be seen sitting in a seat with a seat belt on his shoulders as another inspector took measurements. The route is 131 meters high and is characterized as the tallest independent tower in the world, according to the park’s website. The route holds 30 passengers as it soars into the air, rotates around the tower and then tilts to the ground before falling into free fall at more than 120 kilometers per hour, the website said. In 2021, a maintenance technician who was not properly connected to a safety device fell 68.5 meters to death on a nearby park walk, the 450-foot StarFlyer swing ride. The Morning and Afternoon Newsletters are compiled by Globe editors, giving you a brief overview of the day’s most important headlines. Register today.
