Disaster Teenage boy, 14, dies after plunging from 400ft drop tower ride at Orlando's ICON Park [Video] - Teen was taken to hospital but died from his injuries, Orange County police said.

Archived video of the fall referenced in the article (but not included), fetched from YouTube (likely to be deleted soon). NSFL. Don't watch if you don't want to see someone splatter at the 3:40 timestamp:

A teenager has died after falling from a drop ride at a theme park in Orlando, Florida

The 14-year-old fell from the plunging ride - the world's tallest free-standing drop tower - at ICON park, just after 11pm on Thursday.

The teen, who has not yet been identified, was taken to hospital but succumbed to his injuries, Orange County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.

Terrifying footage captured the horrific accident and the screams of witnesses as the boy fell from the ride, which rotates around a tower as it rises in the air before plunging to the ground at 75 miles per hour.

The ride, the Orlando Free Fall, opened in December 2021, stands at 430ft tall and can accommodate up to 30 people.

The vehicle rotates around a central tower as it rises. After it reaches the top, riders tilt forward and face the ground briefly before free-falling at approximately 75 miles per hour.

It was not immediately clear how the teenager became free from the ride's seat belt or how many people were on the tower at the time.

ICON Park on International Drive has not yet commented on the tragedy. Police have opened an investigation into the incident.

A teenager has died after falling from a drop ride at ICON theme park on International Drive in Orlando, Florida just after 11pm on Thursday

The teen, who has not yet been identified, was taken to hospital but succumbed to his injuries, Orange County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.

It comes less than two years after a park employee died after falling 200 feet from the Orlando StarFlyer attraction.

The 21-year-old employee was performing a safety check about halfway up the 450-foot-tall ride when he plummeted to his death just before 8am on September 14, the Orange County Sheriff's Office stated.

The worker struck a platform below the ride at ICON Park on International Drive in Orlando and went into cardiac arrest, according to first responders who were called to the scene.

The man was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead from his injuries.

The swing ride opened to the public in 2018. According to the description on the attraction's official site, StarFlyer has no age limit and no weight limit, and the minimum height required to go on the ride is just 44 inches.

The ride is made up of 24 double seats that travel up and down and around the giant tower for 3-4 minutes.

At the time of the fall, the worker was about halfway up the 450-foot-high ride, billed at the world's tallest swing ride

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10651331/Teen-dies-fall-Florida-amusement-park-ride.html
https://archive.ph/nLadc

 

[Shaneequa]

I think this was a suicide, he unbuckled himself.

 

[The Last Stand]

Slightly PL, but something like this almost happened to me and my sister at a shitty carnival when we were kids. It wasn't for a ride as nearly as dramatic as this, but the possible results would've been nearly as bad. It was some ride that lifted you high into the air with these small carriers, and then spun you really, really fast in a tilted circle.

To cut a long story short, the dipshit operating the ride didn't properly check, or lock the gate for our carrier and it swung open the second, or third loop around. We would've both been launched out of the thing and have fallen over 30ft if we hadn't grabbed the gate door, slammed it shut, and held it closed for dear life for the rest of the ride.

I remember one fair or small theme park around a few years back that had a merry-go-round swing set. Some time later, that SAME attraction fell over during use. I went on it, but before that incident.

Carny rides are poorly maintained and overlooked. Use at your own risk.

 

[Bender]

Christ, this is tragic. Dude just wanted to have fun on a ride and got thrown head-first into the concrete at 70+MPH instead. And his friend was strapped in and was practically forced to see his mate's corpse. How many levels of incompetence are involved here?

Sure, the family can sue the park, that kid can get locked up for negligent homicide, but that guy being punished for not checking the safety harness and the family getting a few hundred thousand bucks isn't gonna make up for the loss of their son.

 

[DamnWolves!]

Ah man, wasn't expecting to puke.

Lol gay.

Those types of over-the-shoulder harnesses aren't meant for fat people.

Even still, I gotta wonder if he was leaning forward or something. Lean back and let the seat take the deceleration. People are saying he slipped out, and--aside from the seat totally giving way--that's the only explanation that makes sense. He was probably half hanging over the edge before it even started dropping and it just fuckin yeeted him into the pavement at free fall speed when it started slowing down because the ride slowed down but there was nothing under him when it did.. I'm not gonna do slow motion analysis, but I strongly suspect this was survivable based on how you chose to position yourself in that seat.

Still, you gotta be pretty fuckin fat before you no longer fit in those giant seats. Maybe his brother will go easy on the biscuits and gravy now.

 

[RodgerDodger]

Pretty safe to say fat boy didn't have his harness shut and the dumbass who was supposed to make sure it was secured half-assed their job. It wasn't a harness failure. That shit was never even secured in the first place.

It's likely a little more complex than that. There are safety sensors. The bars have to be down and locked to trigger a green indicator light next to each seat. All seats must be green otherwise the ride will not dispatch. Also these restraints are hydraulic or pneumatic. Not the classic ratcheting type. So once down they should not release or back off the position they are in.

I'm placing my bets on primary liability falling on the manufacturer for choosing a novel design lacking standard features, leading to a very predictable fatality.

The rides manufacturer is Funtime. Who in addition to being a ride manufacturer, owns ICON Orlando. And a number of other low rent Florida attractions. Remember the Kissimee Slingshot who's bungie failed 1 second before launch? Theirs. So they are fucked no matter what. Depending on how many layers of corporate legal bullshit they have in place.

 

[elite_club]

(link/archive)​

​

Teen was ‘freaking out’ on Orlando ride before falling to his death, father says​

By
Patrick Reilly
March 25, 2022 8:30pm
Updated

Father of teen who died after fall from Icon Park ride speaks out

The 14-year-old boy who fell to his death from an Orlando amusement park ride asked the friend strapped in next to him to tell his parents he loved them in case “I don’t make it down,” according to his devastated father.
Yarnell Samson said his son Tyre felt unsafe as soon as the “Orlando Free-Fall” ride at ICON Park began going up.
“When the ride took off, that’s when he was feeling uncomfortable.
He was like ‘this thing is moving,’ you know what I’m saying. And he was like ‘what’s going on?’” Samson told Fox 35.
“And that’s when he started freaking out,” the dad continued.
The teen then told the friend beside him: “If I don’t make it down tell … Please tell my mama and daddy I love them.”
“For him to say something like that, he must have felt something,” Samson told the outlet.

His son tragically plummeted from the ride when it was about halfway down its 430-foot descent. He died after being rushed to a local hospital.
The heartbroken dad is demanding to know why his 6-foot-5, 340-pound son was even allowed on the ride after he was stopped from getting on others due to his size.

“This one particular ride decided, ‘yeah, we’re gonna take you, come on, get on,’ when nobody else allowed him to get on the rides,” Samson told the Orlando station.
“So I wanna know what happened between now and then that made them say, ‘come on, you can get on this ride,” he added.
Tyre was on the attraction with two of his best friends. The boys had traveled to Orlando from Missouri.

An honor roll student and football player, Samson said his son had hopes of playing in the NFL.
“This should never happen to nobody else’s child ever again,” he said. “And if I have something to do with it, it never will ever again.”
The “Orlando Free Fall” had just opened at the end of December. Standing at 430 feet, it boasts itself as the world’s tallest free-standing drop tower, according to the park’s website. The ride holds 30 passengers as it ascends, rotates around the tower and then tilts to face the ground before free falling at more than 75 miles per hour.

The attraction has over-the shoulder restraint harnesses, with two hand grips at the chest level, that riders pull down and are released automatically at the end of the ride.
An inspector on Friday could be seen sitting in a ride seat with the security harness over his shoulders as another inspector took measurements.
Orange County Sheriff John Mina said the tragedy does not appear to be an intentional act. An investigation is ongoing.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

>the friend strapped in next to him to tell his parents he loved them in case “I don’t make it down,” according to his devastated father.

Well he did make it down, what killed him is what stopped him once he did

>The heartbroken dad is demanding to know why his 6-foot-5, 340-pound son was even allowed on the ride after he was stopped from getting on others due to his size.

Because he would've called the ride operator a racist and all his "supportive friends" who couldn't be bothered to notice the loose harness would've backed him up to get free shit

>An honor roll student and football player, Samson said his son had hopes of playing in the NFL.

And looks like he scored his last touchdown.


>“This should never happen to nobody else’s child ever again,” he said. “And if I have something to do with it, it never will ever again.”

If you have anything to do with it, the only reason it stops other kids from dying is because they won't physically fit on the ride. Your child had a 40.3 BMI

 

[Cpl. Long Dong Silver]

Ghetto lottery pays out again!

 

[RodgerDodger]

Why are the workers and the passengers so calm?

From some reliable insider info, most assumed what fell was a part of the ride. It took a minute or so to realize it was a passenger.

@89elbees They did nothing because they knew that there was nothing they could do. No amount of heroics was going to save that kid after the fact. As rushing to let the passengers out of the ride, I can understand them being preoccupied with the dead sack of fat that remained gurgling on the ground. They had zero training and practice on what to do in case of an accident.

That said, the chad move to have made would have been to continue to let the ride go up and down for the original three more times. People go on those rides for the thrills and adrenaline rush. Can you imagine the terror of riding that three more times just after you saw one of the riders fall to their death and go splat? Should have given them the ultimate Null thrill.

Believe it or not. He may not have been immediately dead. He came down flat leading with his arms legs and ass. Depending on how hard his head hit, there mayy have been something for the medics and ER to work with for a bit. Plus it's a kid. You don't call a kid on the ground like that. You're gonna work it.

Where do you see blood? I didn't see anything.
Side note, look at the Reddit man on his phone in the background doing a perfect soyjack

View attachment 3108778

There normally isn't much blood from blunt trauma like this. Not unless something major has come off. Like his head.

At age 14, The hell were they feeding this kid.

NFL Dreams and Drive Through.

 

[More AWS-8Q Than You]

Parks- usually rare, but not unknown. There was a ride in Ohio where a drunk as a skunk woman defeated the safety restraints and fell from a ride at Kings Island in the 90's.

Traveling rides at fairs- Get life insurance first.

Flight Commander. That was before my time in the area, I am legit sad that I missed Son of the Beast though, my dad taught me to love wooden rollercoasters, back seat of the back car is the best for whiplash, and we'd have loved to get through that loop. Sadly, we weren't in the state for the years it was open. Also the deaths at Kings Island are a bit sad, except for the Tuba playing clown that got hit by lightning in the parking lot.

Also, waterparks were the better section back in the 90s. For reasons that should be obvious to most Americans.

 

[XYZpdq]

I'll see if I can dig it up tomorrow but one of the local news channel's twitter (maybe 9) had some chatter about the "wow we show you guys how we make the news" preshow cam online got the talent discussing this in the crude cold manner you'd expect.

 

[naaaaiiiiillllll!!!]

It's called shock lol.
Never seen the video of the guy flipping his car and then poking his head out the driver's window (which was now pointing up) and be all:
"Oi 's all right chap, cheerio then. God save the queen"? (not actual what he said, but close)

Spoiler: video

Of course, the guy that caused the accident was driving a BMW. The "BMW Driver" stereotype exists for a reason...

Where do you see blood? I didn't see anything.
Side note, look at the Reddit man on his phone in the background doing a perfect soyjack

View attachment 3108778

I first I saw the video on mobile and the red slip-on shoes next to his body kind of looked like blood (I think that's the source of confusion).

It's burgerland in current year. Sadly this is becoming the norm because parents have adopted a "awww sweetie it's okay to be fat or whatever you want, you are perfect just the way you are!" and people are disincentivized to change.

If you have anything to do with it, the only reason it stops other kids from dying is because they won't physically fit on the ride. Your child had a 40.3 BMI

People are making the irritating "lol Amerifat" comment, which is true, but this kid was 6 feet 5 inches at 14 years old (195.6 cm for Metric cucks). He was a goddamn genetic giant and eating American fast food doesn't give you that kind of height (otherwise America wouldn't have so many manlets). I'm tempted to say even if he was underweight, many amusement park rides would be inaccessible or even dangerous for him. The whole thing sucks.

 

[elite_club]

Of course, the guy that caused the accident was driving a BMW. The "BMW Driver" stereotype exists for a reason...

I first saw the video on mobile and the red slip-on shoes next to his body kind of looked like blood (I think that's the source of confusion).



People are making the irritating "lol Amerifat" comment, which is true, but this kid was 6 feet 5 inches at 14 years old (195.6 cm for Metric cucks). He was a goddamn genetic giant and eating American fast food doesn't give you that kind of height (otherwise America wouldn't have so many manlets). I'm tempted to say even if he was underweight, many amusement park rides would be inaccessible or even dangerous for him. The whole thing sucks.

Okay, but the problem isn't the 6'5", because adults go to fairs all the time, and 6.5 feet is the height of 1 in 300 people. The problem is the 340lbs. The reason I used BMI is to show just how deep into the obesity side his physique was, and being five inches shorter I was a fat ass with 100 less pounds.

 

[PointOfNoReturnPoint]

Future astronaut I'm sure

He accomplished reverse astronaut thats for sure.

 

[Creep3r]

The only thing that creeps me out more is the eagerness of so many to take footage of a dead teen and you can bet most of them probably aren't doing it to help the parents sue the park.

 

[Grub]

Thats what I was thinking. I've heard that particular sound once before. If anybody remembers that incident back in the 90s at playland in vancouver when a guy got killed after going splat when the slingshot ride fucked up and a guy went flying into the pavement, face first with that thing they make you sit in landing on top of him. I had the unfortunate experience of being a few feet away when it happened, waiting in line for the rollercoaster (its right next to the roller coaster and some rock climbing wall) and saw and heard the whole thing. Same fucking sound

Speaking of said roller coaster, years earlier there was an incident where some idiot tried to do a headstand while going over the first drop. Naturally he fell - a few feet down onto the track and ended up having to deliberately roll off the track and let himself fall to avoid getting run over by the roller coaster when it got to him. Apparently he survived but broke most of his bones and spent a ton of time in the hospital. So yeah, don't do stupid shit like that either

On that note, its the roller coaster from this episode of first wave

That wooden coaster is sketchy all by itself. It's not the most intense one out there, but it feels so precarious and rickety. The restraint is just a loose bar across your lap. I remember being on there one time and this fat fuck with a fanny pack was next to me so the bar didn't close all the way. Literally had to hold myself down in the seat the whole ride.

 

[Titos]

This got a thought into my head. If things do devolve into minecraft in the US who the fuck needs guillotines or gallows when you have these things? Much more fun and fitting to American culture.

 

[Bunny Tracks]

Okay, but the problem isn't the 6'5", because adults go to fairs all the time, and 6.5 feet is the height of 1 in 300 people. The problem is the 340lbs. The reason I used BMI is to show just how deep into the obesity side his physique was, and being five inches shorter I was a fat ass with 100 less pounds.

This is so stupid. Who cares if bigass dudes go to fairs all the time? Never mind the fact that they're usually not going on rides like this. The kid being a giant isn't the issue here.

No, the issue is that the ride operator didn't make sure he was securely locked in. On top of that, there's no bottom safety straps. The lady in the video even points this out. It's an obvious design flaw, and had it actually been implemented, this most likely wouldn't have happened.

Same goes for if the ride operator actually did his job. If the kid really was too big to go on the ride, he should've been told that, and not allowed on it. It doesn't matter if the kid and his family cried racism. Shit like that means nothing when it comes to these kinds of things If he could fit, then the operator is even more of shithead. Either way, there is no excuse for this happening.

Absolutely none.

 

[Suburban Bastard]

This is why I hang onto the handlebars for dear life.

 

[keyboredsm4shthe2nd]

The worker that said he checked it (I assume he’s the one that said “yeah, the light was on”) sounded fucking high.

That thud is going to take a second to leave my head. Sounds like a sack of wet cement with rice hitting the ground.

Goddamn I've never heard a more accurate depiction of a sound and I hate it.

This is why I hang onto the handlebars for dear life.

Every time I see one of those videos of a kid slipping out of a theme park seat and freaking out and their parents are laughing it up I think of a number of incidents like this. Won't be so funny if your kid does end up on the fucking pavement.

 

[feral cat #6385]

Why are the workers and the passengers so calm?

They're in shock.