Dollywood Closes 230-Foot Drop Ride After Recent Death Of A 14-Year-Old At Florida Amusement Park
The Dollywood amusement park in Tennessee announced Sunday that it is temporarily closing one of its rides which was developed by the same manufacturer as a ride in Orlando, Florida, where a 14-year-old recently fell and died.
On Thursday, Tyre Sampson fell off of the 430-foot tall tower of the “Orlando Free-Fall” ride at ICON Park. Following the accident, Dollywood said in a statement that it has temporarily closed its 230-foot tall Drop Line ride “out of an abundance of caution.” Both of the rides are manufactured by Austria-based Funtime Rides.
“Although Dollywood does not have the specific ride involved in this tragic incident, the safety of our guests is our top priority,” Wes Ramey, public relations director for the country singer’s theme park, said in a statement.
“Out of an abundance of caution, and until further details about the accident at ICON Park are known, we have temporarily closed Drop Line, our drop tower ride that was developed by the same manufacturer,” Ramey said.
An investigation is in process of how the boy was able to fall out of the ride.
The teen's father, Yarnell Sampson, told FOX News Orlando on Friday that his son felt that something with his ride did not feel fully secure before it began.
“When the ride took off, that’s when he was feeling uncomfortable. He was like, ‘This thing is moving.’ … That’s when he started freaking out,” Yarnell Sampson said. “He was explaining to his friends next to him … ‘If I don’t make it down … please tell my mom and dad I love them.’ For him to say something like that, he must’ve felt something."
ICON Park said in a statement that it is fully cooperating with investigators and that the Orlando Free Fall ride will be closed indefinitely.
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