Is Tyre Sampson parents suing?

The parents of a 14-year-old boy who fell to his death from a 430-foot drop-tower ride in central Florida's tourist district sued its owner, manufacturer and landlord on Monday, claiming they were negligent and failed to provide a safe amusement ride.



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As part of a settlement, Orlando Slingshot paid a $250,000 fine to FDACS and has agreed to never again operate the drop tower in Florida and will not reapply for a permit to do so in the future. It has been the wish of Sampson's parents to have the Orlando FreeFall taken down.

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During the ride, the 14-year-old “slipped through the gap between the seat and harness,” according to the state report. It concluded that “the cause of the accident was that Tyre Sampson was not properly secured in the seat.” The autopsy report said Tyre died from blunt force trauma.

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Sampson, who was 340 pounds and stood 6 feet 5 inches tall, was denied entry to other rides at the park, his father, Yarnell Sampson said, adding that his son knew something was wrong the second the ride started.

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Tyre Sampson plummeted to his death from the Orlando FreeFall drop tower in ICON Park on March 24 – a ride described by its operators as the world's tallest freestanding drop tower.

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ORLANDO, Fla. The body is that of well-developed, obese, 74 inch, 383 pound, black male, appearing older than the reported age of 14 years, the medical examiner's reports state.

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An operations manual published by the Orlando Free Fall ride's manufacturer lists the weight limit as 130 kg, or about 287 pounds—meaning Sampson exceeded the maximum passenger weight by nearly 100 pounds.

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