The Orlando Ride Death at ICON Park – What Happened?
The Orlando Ride Death at ICON Park
in this article we share the tragic details of the Orlando Ride Death.
A 14-year old Missouri teenager fell to his death in an amusement park in Orlando, Florida.
Tyre Sampson, 14, rode the Orlando Free Fall ride at the ICON Park on March 27. Unfortunately, halfway through the ride the safety harness was unlocked and Sampson fell to the ground without protection. The youngster was with his football team and on a spring break from St. Louis.
The Orlando Ride Death – What Happened?
An autopsy of the body revealed that Tyre Sampson died from blunt force trauma, possibly due to hitting the ground at a considerable height and force. The report mentioned that the 14-year old ‘came out’ of his seat as the ride’s magnets engaged to slow down the descent. As it happened, it seemed that the aspiring footballer was ‘too big’ for the ride and it showed in a fatal way.
The incident report sent to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services stated that the harness was still in a ‘locked’ position when it happened, and that it had not malfunctioned or become loose in any way.
Outside engineers have taken a look at the Free Fall and said that sensors have been manually adjusted to allow for double the size of the restraints’ openings, which could explain why the Missouri teenager suddenly slipped out from his harness.
Sampson’s parents have taken legal action, suing the landlord and the ride’s manufacturer and owner for negligence and failing to provide safety. Furthermore, the lawsuit says that Tyre was not informed of the risks that his oversized frame could lead to an accident.
Where Did The Orlando Ride Death Happen?
The tragic accident happened in Orlando, Florida, specifically the ICON Park. It’s a popular entertainment destination not just for locals but for those who live in other states and from other countries.
ICON Park closed following the tragedy, and authorities have actively looked into the matter as to why Sampson fell out of his seat in an untimely manner. It’s believed that the teen exceeded the Free Fall ride’s weight limit and size, which led to the incident. However, the Sampson family are filing a lawsuit for negligence and for the park allowing their son to ride Free Fall even when he has exceeded the ride’s weight limitations.
ICON Park is located on International Drive, in Orlando, Florida.
Why Did Tyre Fall to His Death in the Orlando Theme Park?
The most probable reason why Sampson fell out of his seat and dropped when the ride’s magnets engaged was his weight- during the autopsy, it was revealed that the 14 year old weighed around 383 pounds, which was way over the maximum rider weight for the Free Fall attraction.
As per the Free Fall manual, the maximum weight of riders is only 285 pounds. Sampson exceeded this by a good 98 pounds, which could explain why the harnesses were not enough to contain his frame safely.
After the accident, authorities checked the harness and found it still locked. The only concern, as per the parents, was that the ride operators did not say that he is not allowed to experience the ride as he was clearly over the weight limit.
The nature of Free Fall is that the people are sent up to a great height, then released so they go into a ‘free fall’. Magnets engage just before the structure fully goes down in order to catch the people. Then, the safety harnesses ensure that the people won’t fly out of their seats during the entire time.
Halfway through the fall, Sampson’s body went out and he fell to the ground. The autopsy said that the cause of death was blunt force trauma.
Tyre Sampson is a fourteen year old teenager hailing from Missouri. The 6 foot 5 inch individual weighed 383 pounds and was on a spring break trip to Florida with his football team. The father, Yarnell Sampson says that Tyre was a big guy and wasn’t allowed to ride on other attractions due to his size.
Mr. Sampson mentioned in an interview that the ride said he could go on Free Fall, which perplexed the parents. The death, which occurred on March 24 is under investigation, and there haven’t been any criminal charges filed.
