‘Heartbroken’: 14-Year-Old Dies In Fall From Massive Drop Tower At Florida Amusement Park
A 14-year-old boy fell to his death Thursday night (March 24) while riding a free-fall ride at Orlando’s ICON Park.
According to WESH, sheriff’s officials and emergency crews responded to the amusement park ride and took the boy to Arnold Palmer Hospital, where he died a short time later from his injuries.
The child was identified as Tyre Sampson, who was on spring break visiting Florida with his family from St. Louis, Missouri. Sampson and his friends got on the ride, which is the world’s tallest free-standing drop tower that reaches about 75 miles per hour when it drops, just after 11 p.m. when minutes later, pleas for help rang out.
“The ride was going and during the middle of the ride the guy just came off," a 911 caller said, according to the news station.
A spokesperson for the ride says all seats are supposed to lock before anything starts.
"They have to lock or else the ride will not operate. So this is what we're looking into,” John Stine with the SlingShot Group said.
The ride has been closed indefinitely while authorities investigate. Orange County Sheriff John Mina said his office will look into whether the incident was a tragic accident, or if criminal charges need to be filed.
Yarnell Sampson, Tyre’s father, told WESH his son should still be alive.
"And sorry is not gonna take it back. And no monies, no nothing in the world could replace that young man," he said. "A young man's bright future was taken away from him over a ride.”
Yarnell told WTVT that his son told his friends that he was worried that he would not make it through the ride.
"That’s when he started freaking out, and he was explaining to his friend next to him, ‘I don’t know man. If I don’t make it down, please tell my Mom and Daddy I love them.'" his father told the news station. "For him to say something like that, he must have felt something."
Ben Crump and Bob Hilliard will be the lawyers representing Tyre’s family.
“This family is shocked and heartbroken at the loss of their son," Crump, who is representing Yarnell Sampson, Tyre's father, said in a statement. "A fun theme park visit with his football team should not have ended in tragedy," Crump said in a statement.
