Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried offered the following statement on the tragic incident that occurred with the Orlando Drop Tower resulting in the death of a 14-year-old patron.
“Words cannot express the sorrow felt by the tragic loss of such a young man, and my thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this unimaginably difficult time,” said Commissioner Fried. “The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is actively investigating the incident, along with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and we hope the subsequent findings will be able to inform us all as to how this tragedy occurred and will precipitate any changes necessary to better protect patrons of amusement rides in Florida. Committed to transparency, the department will be providing relevant records online and updating those records as able.”
With the FDACS investigation ongoing, the department will have no further comment at this time. FDACS encourages individuals seeking public records related to this incident to continue to check this folder where all current and future records will be shared on an ongoing basis.
Background on FDACS Authority
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has statewide responsibility to inspect all amusement rides in Florida, except for those at large parks that have more than 1,000 employees and have full-time inspectors on staff.
Amusement rides regulated in the state of Florida fall into two major groups: temporary amusement rides (those that are regularly relocated with or without assembly) and permanent facility amusement rides (those that are not regularly relocated and operate as a lasting part of the premises).
All temporary amusement rides are inspected and permitted each time they are moved or set up at a new location. Permanent rides are permitted annually and are inspected prior to permitting, as well as midway through the permit year. All amusement rides permitted annually by FDACS are required to have on file with us:
- A certificate of insurance and
- An annual affidavit of compliance and nondestructive testing performed by a professional engineer or qualified inspector.
When an FDACS inspector comes to the event or permanent park, they will:
- Verify and validate the insurance coverage as well as Fair Rides Affidavit of Compliance and Nondestructive Testing.
- Require the owner/operator to have a certified individual present during the inspection.
- Inspect the ride for compliance with state standards. (Note: The ride must be run tested and ready for patron use prior to the inspection being conducted.)
- Collect the required fees.
- Issue the required permit.
The owner/operator is responsible for inspecting the amusement ride prior to opening each day of operation. The owner/operator is also responsible for training and recording training for each employee authorized to operate, assemble, disassemble, transport or conduct maintenance on the ride.
FDACS also investigates accidents involving amusement rides and has the authority to impose sanctions on amusement ride owners for violation of the law and can close and impound amusement rides that pose an immediate serious danger to public health, safety, and welfare.
For further questions on FDACS authority, please click here.
Background on Orlando Drop Tower/ICON Park
On December 20, 2021, FDACS conducted an initial inspection of the Orlando Eagle Drop at ICON Park, and no deficiencies were noted at the initial permit inspection. As this was a new ride with no deficiencies noted at the initial permit inspection and permanent amusement rides are subject to semi-annual inspections, no further inspections were conducted as the ride had not yet been in operation for six months. The ride will be closed for the foreseeable future and will not re-open until all questions are answered as part of the ongoing FDACS investigation.
As to the fatal worker accident that occurred at ICON Park in 2020, that incident involved a different attraction and did not fall under the jurisdiction of FDACS given it was not an accident relating to a patron or the operation of the StarFlyer attraction but was related to maintenance/construction of the ride. Such workplace accidents are handled by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
