A 14-year-old boy who realized his death from a 430-foot ride in Florida’s ICON Park was 96 pounds over the weight limit and suffered a severe internal stroke.
Tyre Sampson of Missouri was found to be nearly 100 pounds over the ride’s 287-pound weight limit, according to the Orange County Medical Examiner’s office, which ruled his death an accident.
Friends of Sampson had previously said that the 6-foot-five-inch teen was put off by other rides for his 383-pound size. Officials determined that the ride operators had also allegedly adjusted their seats before starting the ride.
Sampson was vacationing in Orlando with a friend’s family and his size has been investigated as a possible factor.
A preliminary report from outside engineers hired by the Florida Department of Agriculture stated that the sensors on the ride were manually adjusted to double the size of the openings for the obstacles on the two seats, resulting in Sampson having to was not secured properly.
Tire Sampson, 14, of Missouri (pictured) was found to be 96 pounds over the weight limit for the freefall ride. The 430-foot tower weighs 287 pounds. is overshadowed
His death was ruled an accident by the Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Sampson’s parents have sued the ride’s owner, manufacturer, and landlord, saying they were negligent and failed to provide a safe amusement ride. The lawsuit states that the defendants failed to warn Sampson of the risks of someone his size going on a ride and did not provide a proper restraint system.
A disturbing 911 call was uncovered in March. A manic woman over the phone told emergency services that they ‘didn’t secure the seatbelt on her.’
‘They are saying that he is breathing, but he is not answerable. It looks like his hands are broken and his legs,’ the man said.
When asked by the 911 operator how far the teen was when she fell, the woman replied: ‘I’m not sure, but it’s new. [ride], He is absolutely exalted – the highest one. I don’t know from where he fell.’
The 911 caller graphically described the tire injuries he had with ‘blood on his legs’ and said he was unresponsive but was likely still alive.
She also informed the 911 operator that no one was able to perform CPR on Sampson because they were unable to transfer him to his back.
‘No, no, he’s a heavy dude. He’s on his stomach,’ said the woman.
Sampson, known to his friends in Big Tick and a rising middle school football player, appeared to slide out of the seat as the magnets activated to slow the ride on his descent.
In the viral video that circulated after his death, one ride operator can be heard asking another if they had ‘checked’ the seatbelts.
Sampson was seen falling off the ride in March because his seatbelt was not secured properly
Sampson had to manually replace the teen’s seat sensor to be able to fit and video from the incident shows the teen’s harness loosening
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services inspectors investigate freefall rides after Sampson’s death
‘Yeah, the light was one,’ said one of the ride operators in the video.
‘Both of us… we checked it. The light was on,’ said a third worker.
According to the ride’s operations manual, attendants must manually check the restrictions when loading a guest, to make sure it is locked.
The ride also will not board until the riders are locked in their seats.
The operator’s manual also suggests workers to be ‘careful’ and ensure that ‘large guests fit in the seats.’
‘Check that they fit within the outline of the seat and that the bracket fits properly. If it is not – don’t let this person ride,’ the manual clearly states.
Tyre’s father, Yarnell, said his 6-foot-five son was told by other rides in the park that he was too big to ride safely, but freefall ride operators waved him off.
Sampson was concerned about harness before the ride began, his father said, and asked his friends sitting next to him to tell his parents that he loved them.
The football player’s family is now suing the ride’s owner, manufacturer and landlord for negligence because they did not provide a ‘safe’ ride
‘When the ride took off, that’s when he felt uncomfortable. He was like ‘this thing is going on,’ you know what I’m saying. And he was like ‘What’s up?’ Yarnell told WOFL-TV,
The grieving father said the tire started to rattle and shared a chilling foreboding sitting next to him on the ride with two of his best friends.
‘ That’s when he started getting angry. And he was explaining to his friends, next to him: “I don’t know man, if I don’t put it down, safely, can you please tell my mom and dad that I love them,” Sampson he said. ‘For him to say something like that, he must have felt something.’
“This particular ride decided: “Yeah, we can take you, go ahead,” he said, when no one else would allow him on the ride.
A lawyer for the ride’s owner, Orlando Slingshot, has said the company is still cooperating with state investigators to find out what happened.
‘We continue to communicate and cooperate with representatives of Tyre’s family as well as the Department of Agriculture. “We are dedicated to working with our lawmakers to make lasting safety change in the amusement park industry,” Trevor Arnold, attorney for the Orlando Slingshot, said in a statement.
‘The loss of the tire Sampson was a tragic accident.’