FLORIDA – Authorities released 911 calls Friday minutes after a teenager fell from the Free Fall ride at an Orlando amusement park, killing him.
The victim was identified as Tire Sampson, 14, who had traveled from Missouri. The teenager was visiting Orlando with some family friends.
A witness described what happened before the incident. “The attraction was running and in the middle of the way the boy fell.”
And then he added: “He’s dead, he’s dead, I think he’s dead. He’s not breathing.”
WITNESSES DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED
“The ride was going downhill and as it neared the end, the boy fell out of his seat,” said a person who was apparently riding the same ride when the tragedy occurred.
The Free Fall drop tower is known to be the tallest in the world at 430 feet tall. When descending it reaches a maximum speed of 75 miles per hour.
In another call, a young woman who witnessed the incident said the victim was face down and had blood on her feet.
“I don’t know if he’s breathing, but he’s not responding. It looks like his arms and feet are broken,” he said.
A 14-year-old teenager died Thursday night after falling from Icon Park’s Orlando Free Fall tower, authorities are now investigating what happened.
WHAT COULD CAUSE THE YOUNG MAN’S FALL
The Orange County Police Department reported that so far they can confirm that it was “a tragedy”, but that for now they cannot determine if there was a failure in the safety of the attraction.
“Criminal charges will be filed if negligence is found,” said John Mina of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will be investigating the incident and will determine what caused the fall of the minor of the attraction that was inaugurated in December of last year.
The attraction will be closed to ICON Park visitors until the investigation into the case is complete, announced The Slingshot Group, which operates the attraction.