ORLANDO, Fla. (AP/WFLA) — 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 have sued its owner, manufacturer and landlord, claiming they were negligent and failed to provide a safe amusement ride.
The lawsuit was filed Monday by the parents of Tyre Sampson in state court in Orlando.
It says that the defendants failed to warn their 6-foot-2-inch, 380-pound son about the risks of going on the ride and didn’t provide an appropriate restraint system on the ride.
“That seat belt cost $22 a seat. They could have run this ride 2-3 times and paid for it on the first tonight of its operations. We wouldn’t be talking right now and Tyre would be out on a football field with his mom rooting him on,” attorney Michael Haggard, who is representing Sampson’s mother, Nekia Dodd, told News Channel 8.
According to preliminary findings from a forensic examination, it was discovered that the harness proximity sensor on Tyre’s seat, Seat 1, was manually loosened, allowing operators to seat larger-sized riders within the seven-inch restraint opening.
This manual adjustment caused Tyre’s seat to be improperly secured, leading him to fall from the 430-ride to his death.
“I think that’s an incredibly important fact. It’s also important who knew about it. Did the manufacturer know about it? Did Icon Park know it was occurring?” said Haggard.
The Quest Engineering report determined there were no mechanical or electrical failures of the ride itself.
According to documents obtained by WFLA, the operations manual lists the maximum weight for the ride as less than 287 pounds. Tyre Sampson’s father said the boy weighed more than 300 pounds.
Orlando Slingshot, the owner and operator of the ride, sent News Channel 8 a statement after the lawsuit was filed Monday:
“Orlando Slingshot continues to fully cooperate with the State during its investigation, and we will continue to do so until it has officially concluded. We reiterate that all protocols, procedures and safety measures provided by the manufacturer of the ride were followed. We look forward to working with the Florida legislature to implement change in the industry and we are also supportive of the concepts outlined by State Representative Geraldine Thompson to make changes to state law through the ‘Tyre Sampson Bill’ to prevent a tragic accident like this from ever happening again.”
In a statement, ICON Park said, “we are deeply troubled that the preliminary findings of the State’s investigation indicate a sensor on the Orlando FreeFall attraction, which is owned and operated by the SlingShot Group, had been mis-adjusted after the sensor was originally secured in place.”
The ride had only been in operation for less than six months and was inspected in December, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.