What was the cause of death at Icon Park?

Fourteen-year-old Tyre Sampson died after slipping out of his seat while on the Orlando FreeFall ride at ICON Park on March 24, 2022, falling more than 100 feet to his death, according to the lawsuit. The eighth grader was a star football player who was visiting the theme park with his team during spring break.



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ORLANDO, Fla. — Standing in front of the Orlando Free Fall drop tower where her 14-year-old son Tyre Sampson lost his life nearly a year ago, Nekia Dodd and her lawyer announced Wednesday they had reached a settlement with ride owner Orlando Slingshot and landlord ICON Park in the civil lawsuit over Tyre's death.

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On March 24, Tyre fell to his death from the 430-foot thrill ride. In the autopsy report, the medical examiner determined the cause of death was blunt force trauma; it also states that the death was by accident.

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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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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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Tyre Sampson, 14, 'knew something was wrong with his harness and was freaking out' before Icon theme park fall, dad says. THE dad of a teen boy who died falling from a theme park ride said his son knew his safety harness was not fitted right.

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Identified only as Ivan, he was the source of the gruesome video that showed 14-year-old Tyre Sampson's fall from the thrill ride. That very same video circulated widely following Sampson's death, getting to Sampson's father before official news of his passing.

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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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OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — A 6-year-old Louisiana boy is back home recovering after falling from the Galaxy Spin roller coaster at Fun Spot America's theme park in Osceola County. WESH 2 Investigates obtained body-worn camera video from deputies who arrived at the park on U.S. 192 minutes after the fall.

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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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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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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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