Person on Orlando ride appeared to question seat restraint before 14-year-old boy fell to his death
Miami — Before a teen fell to his death on Thursday night, one person on the Orlando Free Fall ride at Icon Park appeared to question the seat restraints.
"Why doesn't this have a little click to it, like a seatbelt?" the person said.
As the ride lifted, a worker said, "Check your seatbelt on the left side ... seatbelt …"
The ride appears to have only an over-the-shoulder harness that locks riders into place as it descends 75 miles per hour.
But on Thursday night, as it dropped from more than 400 feet, a rider came off the seat and fell to his death.
Workers could be heard saying after the incident, "You guys are sure you checked it?"
Orange County Sheriff John Mina identified the victim as 14-year-old Tyre Sampson, who was visiting central Florida from Missouri with a friend's family.
John Stine, a spokesman for the Slingshot Group, which owns the ride, said the ride — which opened about three months ago — is designed to only operate if riders are locked in.
"It's very difficult to say" what could have gone wrong, he told CBS News. "The way the ride is designed, with all the safety features and redundancy, there shouldn't be an issue."
Slingshot Group said it is cooperating with authorities as they investigate. Icon Park said it's doing everything it can to assist. The Orlando Free Fall is closed pending a full investigation.
"We are deeply saddened and sorry," Stine added.
