Fourteen-year-old student and football player Tyre Sampson died from injuries sustained after falling from his seat on the Orlando Free Fall tower ride, formerly sited at Icon Park, in March of 2022.
According to the lawsuit, Sampson weighed 383 pounds and exceeded the ride’s weight limit by nearly 100 pounds. He fell 100 feet from the ride, which did not have seat belts and was later found to have undergone changes to the ride that contributed to his death.
The verdict was delivered in an Orange County courtroom against the Austria-based manufacturer, Funtime-Handels. Last year, the Sampson family reached a settlement with Icon Park and Eagle Drop Slingshot, the ride’s owner, also named as defendants. It has yet to be disclosed.
The Orlando Free Fall ride was permanently dismantled following an investigation into Sampson’s death. Last year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the Tyre Sampson Act, a unanimously passed piece of legislation that aims to strengthen safety standards for amusement park rides across the state.
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This article appears in Dec 4-10, 2024.
