The FreeFall Ride in ICON Park, an amusement park in Orlando, Florida, hasn’t been operating for even a year, but it will soon be demolished, due to the death of a teenager.
The 430-foot ride, allegedly the world’s tallest freestanding drop tower, was opened to the public in December 2021. It caused the teen’s accidental drop, which led to his immediate death. The victim, 14-year-old Tyre Sampson from Missouri, was enjoying his spring break in March of this year, when he rode the ill-fated ride.
The autopsy report stated that the boy had broken bones and internal injuries from the accident. It also noted that Sampson, who was said to have weighed 383 pounds, was allowed to ride despite going beyond the ride’s weight limit, which is 287 pounds.
The safety restraints were adjusted manually to accommodate Sampson, the engineers hired by the Florida Department of Agriculture said. This caused the failure to secure him properly in his seat. The authorities shared that a further probe on the ride’s design should be done to evaluate for other factors that may have caused the accident.
The company said that they will be establishing a scholarship in Sampson’s name.
The Sampson family filed a negligence lawsuit against the parties involved – ICON Park; SlingShot, which owns and operates the Orlando FreeFall; the ride’s manufacturer, Funtime Handels; and the manufacturer of the seats and harnesses, Gerstlauer Amusement Rides.
Ben Crump and Bob Hillard, the Sampson’s lawyers, said that Tyre’s father has been pushing for the ride to be taken down since the accident happened. They added that the announcement provided some relief to the family.
There was no scale at the ride’s entrance, and it was not required by law for there to be one to verify the weight of the rider.
