ORLANDO, Fla. - In what was intended to be a fun visit last week to an amusement park ride in Orlando, Florida, the day turned tragic for the family of a 14-year-old boy who fell from a towering free-fall ride and died from his injuries.
Tyre Sampson fell on March 24 from the 430-foot ride called Orlando FreeFall, which is taller than the Statue of Liberty, during a visit to ICON Park.
Sampson, from Missouri, had traveled to Orlando for a football program with another family. RELATED: Teen falls from Florida ride: Video shows moments leading up to deadly plungeLocated along a busy street in the heart of the city’s tourist district, the Orlando FreeFall is billed as the tallest drop tower in the world, according to FOX 35.
It takes passengers to the top, briefly tilts riders forward, and then free-falls some 400 feet at 75 miles per hour. It can accommodate 30 riders when loaded to capacity.Tyre Sampson, 14, is pictured in a provided family photo.