14-year-old boy dies after falling from 'free fall' ride at Orlando park

A 14-year-old boy died Thursday night after falling from a ride at an Orlando amusement park that takes passengers 430 feet in the air before plummeting toward the ground at 70 miles per hour, authorities said.

The Orange County Sheriff's Department said in a statement that officers responded to a 911 call at the Orlando Free Fall ride at Icon Park in Orlando shortly after 11 p.m.

Witnesses on scene reported that someone had fallen from the ride, the sheriff's department said.

The ride, which opened in December, holds up to 30 people and is considered the world's tallest freestanding drop tower, according to the park's website.

A video of the ride taken by a bystander appears to show passengers discussing seatbelts with the crew before going hundreds of feet in the air. As the ride plummets to the ground, a rider can be seen falling from his seat.

The Orange County Sheriff's Department later confirmed that a 14-year-old boy was taken to Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, where he died from his injuries.

On the video, crew members can be seen gathering after the accident. One person asks, "Are you sure you checked him?"

John Stine, director of sales and marketing for the Slingshot Group of Companies, the owner and operator of the ride, said at a press conference Friday that the teen was in a safety harness and that the park staff "operate the ride with all the safety precaution in mind."

The ride is currently closed at the park. The park did not respond to a request for comment by NBC News.

“Words can’t say how we feel,” Stine said. “Our hearts go out to the family of this young man, and that’s all we can say at this time.”

The teen's death is the second at the Icon Park in less than two years. In September 2020, park employee Jacob Kaminsky, 21, died after falling more than 50 feet while conducting a safety check on the 450-foot spinning swing ride at the park, according to the Orlando Sentinel.