14-year-old teenager dies after falling from a mechanical attraction in a Florida park (VIDEO)
“Free Fall” is a mechanical attraction composed of a 130-meter-high tower, which can transport 30 people to the top of the game and descend at about 120 km/h.
On Thursday night, a scene of terror was experienced at the ICON Park in Orlando, Florida, when a 14-year-old teenager fell from the mechanical attraction called "Free Fall".
The young man was identified as Tire Sampson, 14 years old, from the state of Missouri, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
As a result of the accident, videos began to circulate through social networks where it is observed how the child falls from his seat and hits the ground when the attraction is descending.
The Sheriff's office indicated that the young man was taken to the hospital around 11:00 pm, but due to the injuries caused by the impact, he died.
In this regard, the Orange County Sheriff, John Mina, said they will investigate whether it was intentional or an accident, although everything points to a "terrible tragedy."
For his part, the director of sales and marketing of the Slingshot Group (owner of the attraction), John Stine, declared that the child was secured to his seat and that they operate the trip with all precautions and safety.
“Our hearts go out to the young man's family. We will do everything possible to cooperate with the authorities,” added the marketing director.
Father of the deceased young man found out through social networks
Yarnell Sampson, father of the boy who died on the attraction, told CNN that he found out about the accident online, specifically on Facebook.
“No one contacted me, neither the police nor the amusement park. No one has shown me reports or told me anything about it," he said on March 25.
In addition, he pointed out that, “The pain behind it will never be taken away from you. A 'sorry' is not going to change anything. No money, nothing in the world, will replace that young man with a bright future (...) But, well, he was having fun and enjoying himself until the last moment.
Teenager asked his friends to say goodbye to his parents
Given the images that have come to light, Sampson's father has stated that his son knew something was wrong, since, as shown in the image, the safety harness was apparently not adjusted correctly.
She said her son asked his friends to tell his mom and dad that he loved them, as he felt he was "not going to get it" because he felt his seat moving a lot.
How the “Free Fall” attraction works at ICON Park
"Free Fall" or "free fall" in Spanish, is a mechanical attraction composed of a tower 130 meters high, which is surrounded by a "vehicle" where they can transport up to 30 passengers.
Once people reach the top, the seats are tilted 30 degrees forward, and then the descent begins at around 120 km/h.
The attraction, inaugurated in December 2021, was closed "until further notice," according to a spokesperson for the company that manages three games inside the park.
The video below contains images that may be disturbing to some people, discretion is advised.