ORLANDO, Fla. – Orange County Sheriff’s Office officials confirmed Monday that a worker fell to his death while conducting a safety check at ICON Park in Orlando, Florida, WKMG reported.
The accident occurred around 7:40 a.m. when a 21-year-old worker fell to the bottom platform of the 450-foot ride.
Orange County Fire Rescue, which sent rescue climbers to the scene, tweeted that a caller stated the man had fallen 50-60 feet.
#Fall: 8265 International Drive, approx. 7:40 a.m., OCFRD responded to 911 call that reported an adult male had fallen, caller stated 50-60 ft. OCFRD responded to scene with rescue climbers. Climbers encountered one patient that had fallen to an elevated surface below.
— OCFire Rescue (@OCFireRescue) September 14, 2020
The OCFR rescue crew also assisted another uninjured worker to safety.
“It’s a shock and we’re saddened by it, anytime there is an injury or something of this nature. It’s extremely sad. But we’re holding up and supporting each other,” Director of Sales and Marketing for the attraction, John Stein, told FOX 35.
The Starflyer is “the world’s tallest swing ride attraction,” according to the ride’s website, and was built on-site with “1000 tons of steel, 6000 feet of steel cables, 8000 feet of electrical cables, 110,000 bolts.”
The attraction allows guests to sit in one of 24 seats and “travels up and down and around the giant tower and can operate in winds up to 45 mph.”