Dollywood amusement park in Tennessee, owned by singer Dolly Parton, said it has temporarily closed a ride developed by the same maker of a free-fall ride from which a teenager dropped to his death at an Orlando, Florida, attraction.
The park told The Associated Press it was saddened to hear about the death of Tyre Sampson, 14, who authorities said fell out of a towering amusement ride called Orlando FreeFall at Icon Park in Florida on Thursday.
As it waits for more details to be known about the Florida death, Dollywood announced the temporary closure its Drop Line ride on Sunday “out of an abundance of caution”, the Pigeon Forge amusement park said in an emailed statement.
In a news release posted on its website, Dollywood said Drop Line is a 70-metre-tall tower manufactured by Funtime Rides of Austria.
“Although Dollywood does not have the specific ride involved in this tragic incident, the safety of our guests is our top priority,” Dollywood said.
Investigators were examining what happened when Sampson fell from the 130-metre free-fall ride, which is taller than the Statue of Liberty. The ride is located along a busy street in the heart of Orlando's tourist district, not far from Disney World.
The Icon Park attraction said in a statement it is fully co-operating with investigators and that the Orlando FreeFall ride, which opened late last year, will be closed indefinitely.
