ICON Park accident: Teenager dies after falling from a ride (Video)

A tragic accident occurred at the ICON Park amusement park in Florida.

A 14-year-old boy died after falling from a popular ride at ICON Park.

The tower from which the young man fell is considered to be the tallest of its kind in the world.

Tragic accident at ICON Park. A 14-year-old boy died after falling 400 feet (121 meters) from a popular ride, considered the tallest of its kind in the world, at an amusement park located in Orlando, Florida, according to various media reports on Friday, March 25.

Police received reports of an emergency situation at ICON Park in Orlando shortly after 11 p.m. local time on Thursday, March 24, The Sun reported. Some witnesses said that a visitor had fallen from the ride called Orlando Free Fall, according to Fox35.

Tragic accident confirmed at ICON Park

The images circulating online show police officers surrounding the Orlando Free Fall tower attraction in the amusement park while the witnesses remain nearby. A 14-year-old boy was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead, The Sun reported. The victim has not been identified as investigations continue.

A witness identified as Montrey Williams told local media Fox35: «At first we thought it was a piece of the ride or whatever until we got a little closer, and it was a person laying on the ground. Everyone was panicking and screaming.»

What caused the accident at ICON Park?

The Sun reported that, as of 8:00 a.m. on Friday EST when it updated its report, ICON Park had not yet determined what happened in the fatal accident. The newspaper also explained that the Orlando Free Fall thrill ride rises to 430 feet (131 meters) and has a maximum capacity of 30 people per ride.

It is not yet clear how many passengers were riding the popular ICON Park attraction at the time the accident occurred on Thursday night or what could have caused the teenager to fall to the ground.

How does the Orlando Free Fall drop tower work?

The Orlando Free Fall is the world’s tallest drop tower at an amusement park, according to the ICON Park website. People looking for intense thrills or adrenaline rushes take their seats and spin around a tower as they rise into the air.

The seats are then tilted at a 30-degree angle so that people’s eyes are pointed downward, and they are then plunged into a vertical drop of almost 121 meters at speeds of approximately 75 mph (120 km/h). The Orlando Free Fall opened on December 28 last year, The Sun reported.

Attractions at ICON Park

The ICON Park is also home to the Orlando Slingshot, the world’s tallest slingshot ride, and the theme park’s StarFlyer attraction is the world’s tallest swing. The Sun recalled that a 21-year-old worker fell to his death while inspecting the attraction in September 2020.

The worker was climbing the tower while performing a security check, according to the Orlando Legal Examiner. But he fell backwards onto a platform below. Officials estimated the victim fell from a height of 50 to 60 feet. He was taken to the hospital immediately, but later died. (To see the video of the recent accident at ICON Park follow this link but be aware that it contains sensitive images).