ICON Park: Seat was locked in teenager’s theme park ride death, accident report says
All three witnesses named in accident report are members of staff
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Your support makes all the difference.The seat of the teenager who died falling from an amusement park ride in Florida was locked, an accident report has said.
On Thursday, 14-year-old Tyre Simpson died after falling from the FreeFall drop tower.
The tower takes riders 430 feet (131 metres) into the air and then drops down at up to 75 mph, according to Orlando’s ICON Park.
Tyre came out of the seat when magnets began slowing down the ride as riders were descending, the report, based on staff witness statements, said.
“Harness was still in a down and locked position when the ride stopped,” the report said, according to CNN.
The three witnesses named in the report are all members of staff.
There are suggestions that Tyre may have been too large for the ride. His father, Yarnell Sampson, told CNN that “my son was 6’5 (196cm), 340” lbs (154kg). “So, he’s a big guy.”
The state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services posted the ride’s Operations & Maintenance Manual online, which states that the max weight for a rider is 130kg or 287 lbs.
“Be careful when seeing if large guests fit into the seats. Check that they fit within the contours of the seat and the bracket fits properly. If this is not so – Do not let this person ride,” the manual says.
It remains unclear if Tyre fit into the seat correctly. Video shared on social media allegedly showing the incident shows a rider falling around five seconds after the beginning of the descent – about two-thirds of the way down. The FreeFall ride remains closed and the incident is under investigation.
ICON Park said in a statement on Monday that the ride operator must suspend another ride at the park, known as the Orlando SlingShot, “until such time as a thorough investigation by the appropriate authorities has been completed and all parties are satisfied that the rides are safe for the public”.
The Independent has reached out to ICON Park Orlando for comment.
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