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Police release new details on Orlando amusement ride fall, say 14-year-old was visiting from Missouri

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department said Tyre Sampson was visiting central Florida with another family. “It appears to be a terrible tragedy,” the sheriff said.

The Orange County Sheriff's Department released new details about a 14-year-old boy who died Thursday after falling from a ride at Icon Park in Orlando, Florida.

At a press conference Friday, Orange County Sheriff John Mina identified the young man as Tyre Sampson. Sampson was a Missouri resident who was visiting Florida with another family, Mina said.

“We can imagine the pain and anguish that his family must be going through so our victim advocates have been in contact with the family and helping them through this difficult ordeal,” Mina said.

Mina called Sampson’s death a “terrible tragedy” and said the department was investigating it as an accident. No criminal charges have been filed. He added that the the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs would be investigating the safety of the ride.

Authorities said the boy died from his injuries after falling from the Orlando Free Fall attraction, which takes riders 430 feet in the air before plummeting to the ground at around 70 miles per hour.

The ride, which holds up to 30 people, opened at Icon Park in December. It is considered the world’s tallest freestanding drop tower, according to the park’s website.

Mina said investigators would continue speaking with witnesses and looking at videos of the incident. They weren't clear on how exactly the boy fell from the ride.

"Again, it appears just to be a terrible tragedy," Mina told reporters.

Earlier, the sheriff's department said deputies responded to a 911 call at the park shortly after 11 p.m. on Thursday.

A video of the ride taken by a bystander appears to show passengers discussing seatbelts with the crew before going hundreds of feet in the air. As the ride plummets to the ground, a rider can be seen falling from his seat.

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

John Stine, director of sales and marketing for the Slingshot Group of Companies, the owner and operator of the ride, said at a press conference Friday that the teen was in a safety harness and that the park staff “operate the ride with all the safety precaution in mind.”

“Words can’t say how we feel,” Stine said. “Our hearts go out to the family of this young man, and that’s all we can say at this time.”

The ride is currently closed at the park. The park did not respond to a request for comment by NBC News.