A 14-year-old boy has died after falling from a 430ft high theme park ride in Florida.
Police are investigating the death of the boy, who is understood to have fallen from a “drop ride” at Orlando’s ICON Park around 11pm local time on Thursday.
The teenager was taken to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead after arriving, NBC reported.
Officials have not released his identity or additional details on their investigation.
During construction the Orlando Free Fall was billed as the world’s tallest free-standing drop tower.
According to the park’s website it holds 30 passengers and as it rises in the air, it rotates around the tower and then tilts to face the ground before free falling at more than 75mph.
“We are absolutely saddened and devastated by what happened, and our hearts go out this young man’s family,” John Stine, sales director with the Slingshot Group which owns the ride, said on Friday morning.
The Free Fall ride and an adjacent ride, the Sling Shot, have been closed indefinitely, Stine said. His company operates the two rides at Icon Park.
“We are cooperating with all other investigations at this time to get to the bottom of what happened,” he added.
Stine said there had been no issues reported previously with the Free Fall ride
