At least one person on the Orlando Free Fall ride at Icon Park appeared to question the seat restraints shortly before a 14-year-old boy fell to his death.
“Why doesn’t this have a little click to it, like a seatbelt?” the person reportedly asked, as a worker responded, “Check your seatbelt on the left side … seatbelt ….”
The “Free Fall” only had an over-the-shoulder harness that locked riders into place as it descended at 75 miles per hour.
But on Thursday night, the restraint failed to secure Tyre Sampson, as the ride dropped from more than 400 feet, causing him to come off the seat and fall to his death.
Panicked workers could be heard asking riders after the incident, “You guys are sure you checked it?”
A spokesman for the Slingshot Group, which owns the ride, said the ride is only supposed to operate if riders are locked in.
“It’s very difficult to say” what could have gone wrong, John Stine told CBS News. “The way the ride is designed, with all the safety features and redundancy, there shouldn’t be an issue.”
Stine offered his condolences, and Slingshot Group confirmed that they are cooperating with authorities as an investigation into Sampson’s death begins. Icon Park also said it’s doing everything it can to assist. The Orlando Free Fall ride is now closed pending a full investigation.
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