A 14-year-old boy fell to his death from a 430ft high ride at the ICON theme park in Orlando

• 14-year-old Tyre Sampson died after falling from a theme park ride at ICON Park in Orlando Florida.
• The Orange County Sheriff's Office said the incident appeared to be a "terrible tragedy."

A 14-year-old boy died after falling from a 430ft high theme park ride in Florida on Thursday, authorities said.

Tyre Sampson, 14, was visiting from St. Louis, Missouri, when he fell from the Orlando Free Fall ride at ICON Park just after 11pm, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

A video circulating on social media allegedly captures the moment when someone appears to fall from the ride about five seconds into the ride's drop down the tower.

The teen was taken to Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, where he died from his injuries, officials said.

The Orlando Free Fall ride, which opened in December 2021, is described by its operators as the world's tallest freestanding drop tower.

Orange County Sheriff John W. Mina said in a press conference that an investigation into his death is ongoing, and no charges have been filed as yet.

Mina said that based on preliminary investigations, there was no indication that anything was wrong before the accident at the press conference, reported by Local 10.com news.

"It appears to be a terrible tragedy," Mina said in the press conference. "Our prayers and thoughts are with the family. We can't imagine what they're going through."

The boy's father, Yarnell Sampson, told local outlet Fox35 that his son felt something was wrong during the ride.

"He was panicking when he was going up," Yarnell Sampson told the outlet.

Sampson said his son was "feeling uncomfortable" and "started freaking out" when the ride took off.

"That's when he started freaking out, and he was explaining to his friend next to him, 'I don't know, man. If I don't make it down, please tell my Mom and Daddy I love them.' For him to say something like that, he must have felt something."

Sampson added that his son was 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighed 340 pounds and had not been allowed on other rides at the park.

"This one particular ride said, 'We can take you, come on! Get on!' No one else allowed him to get on the ride, so I'm wondering what happened between now and then that made them say, 'Come on, get this ride!' Sampson said.

Sampson said his son was an honor roll student and aspiring football player who had a bright future.

"This should never happen to anyone else's child ever again, and if I have anything to do with this, it will not happen ever again," Sampson told Fox35.

Sampson told CNN he saw the video allegedly showing his son's death on Facebook: "I saw the video of my son falling down, and I couldn't believe (it). My life stopped."

An official from the Slingshot Group, which operates the ride and two others at the park, told CNN affiliate Spectrum News 13 that the teenager had been secured in the ride's seat before the incident.

"We operate the ride with all the safety precautions in mind, and everything is in place, and this is why we're doing an investigation," John Stine, sales and marketing director for the Slingshot Group, told Spectrum News 13.

Orange County Sheriff John W. Mina said his office would determine if Sampson's death was accidental. The state's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will decide whether the ride's safety was compromised.