Seat on Orlando FreeFall Ride Was Still Locked After Teen’s Death: Officials

ICON Park attractions, The Wheel, left, Orlando SlingShot, middle, and Orlando FreeFall, right, are shown in Orlando, Fla. on March 24, 2022. Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel via AP

The seat of the 14-year-old boy who fell to his death at a park ride in Florida last week was locked, said an accident report released by state officials.

“Harness was still in a down and locked position when the ride stopped,” said a report issued by the Fair Rides division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Tyre Sampson, the teen, fell to his death from the FreeFall drop tower at the ICON Park in Orlando. According to ICON’s website, the ride takes people up 430 feet and then drops them at speeds of up to 75 mph.

Sampson’s father, Yarnell Sampson, raised questions about whether his son was too large for the ride. “My son was 6’5”, 340. So, he’s a big guy,” he told CNN last week.

His father added in another interview that he learned of his child’s death after seeing video footage online.

“And the pain behind it could never be taken away—and sorry’s not gonna take it back and no monies, no nothing in the world to replace the young man,” Samson told WESH2 on Monday. “And it’s just sad, a young man’s bright future was taken away from him over a ride, an amusement park.”

The Slingshot Group, which operates the ride, said it is cooperating with local authorities. The free-fall ride is closed due to an investigation.

John Stine, a spokesman for the Slingshot Group, said the ride can only operate if the riders are locked into their seats, CBS News reported.

“It’s very difficult to say” what went wrong, he said. “The way the ride is designed, with all the safety features and redundancy, there shouldn’t be an issue.”

The Epoch Times has contacted Slingshot Group and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for comment.