Tyre’s parents file suit over Free Fall
More than a dozen defendants named
The parents of 14-year-old Tyre Sampson filed a lawsuit in Orange County court Monday, about a month after the Missouri teenager “fell several hundred feet to his death” from the Orlando Free Fall ride at ICON Park, according to the complaint.
Nekia Dodd and Yarnell Sampson named more than a dozen defendants in the negligence suit, including companies associated with ride owner SlingShot Group and landlord ICON Park, along with various manufacturers and installers who worked on the drop tower.
Among their allegations, Tyre’s parents claim the SlingShot Group manipulated safety sensors on a couple of the ride’s harnesses and did not post the attraction’s weight or height limits at its entrance. They say the ride’s employees failed to notify Tyre of any such limitations or check his restraints properly, records show.
Tyre stood 6-foot-2 and weighed around 380 pounds, according to the lawsuit, which placed him almost 100 pounds over the attraction’s weight limit.
Dodd and Sampson also allege the ride was unsafe due to manufacturing and design defects and should have included seatbelts, a feature the ride’s manufacturer previously said was unnecessary. They claim ICON Park knew of the ride’s risk and did not warn potential riders.
They are seeking an unspecified amount over $30,000, including reimbursement for Tyre’s medical care and funeral arrangements plus damages for Dodd and Sampson’s suffering after he died.
“Orlando Slingshot continues to fully cooperate with the State during its investigation, and we will continue to do so until it has officially concluded,” the SlingShot Group’s attorney Trevor Arnold said in a statement. “We reiterate that all protocols, procedures and
safety measures provided by the manufacturer of the ride were followed.”
ICON Park and ride manufacturers Funtime Handels GmbH and Gerstlauer Amusement Rides GmbH did not respond to requests for comment. A representative for Keator Construction declined to comment.
Dodd, Tyre’s mother, and her attorney Michael Haggard are expected to speak about the lawsuit at a press conference in St. Louis Tuesday morning. It will be the first time Dodd has spoken publicly about her son’s death.
Tyre fell from the ride on March 24, an incident captured in a viral video that showed some riders were concerned the attraction didn’t have seatbelts along with shoulder restraints meant to protect them. The attraction has been closed since his death.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is conducting an ongoing investigation into the accident. The Orange County Sheriff ’s Office is overseeing a separate continuing investigation, but the agency has not shared any recent updates.
Attorney Benjamin Crump, whose firm represents Sampson, said in a statement that Tyre’s death was preventable.
“The defendants in Tyre’s case showed negligence in a multitude of ways. One of the most glaring examples was failing to provide a $22 seatbelt on a ride that cost several million dollars to construct,” Crump said. “They didn’t, and their poor decisions resulted in deadly consequences for a promising young man and lifelong pain for his family.”
Tyre’s parents allege it would cost the SlingShot Group around $660 total to install seatbelts on the attraction.
In documents released by the state, Funtime said the ride did not need a seatbelt because the shoulder restraints were monitored and the system had two independent locking devices. Under Florida law, ride operators follow manufacturers’ guidelines.
The lawsuit names Funtime as manufacturing the ride, but Gerstlauer Amusement Rides as designing its seats and safety harnesses. The companies are based in Austria and Germany, respectively.
In a report earlier this month, an engineering firm hired by the state found sensors on two of the ride’s safety harnesses had been manually changed to allow the restraints to open almost double the range of those on other seats.
The modification created a nearly 7-inch gap between the harness and the seat that could have widened to 10 inches as the ride slowed, allowing Tyre to slip out, according to the report.
Ride safety expert Brian Avery said the report’s findings made him “sick to [his] stomach” and raised further questions about the accident’s circumstances. Tyre’s death has ignited calls for stronger ride safety laws within Florida and highlighted the lack of federal oversight in the amusement industry.
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said her department will review state regulations once its accident investigation concludes.
State Rep. Geraldine Thompson, D-Orlando, said she will write legislation named after Tyre to address any safety gaps found during the investigation, which Arnold said Slingshot supports “to prevent a tragic accident like this from ever happening again.”
A fundraiser Dodd started in memory of her son has raised over $38,000 over the past month. She wrote that the money would be used to help cover expenses like funeral costs and therapy, though “no money or compensation” could make up for Tyre’s death.
The lawsuit noted that Tyre was an honor roll student and football player at his middle school.
“Despite his prowess on the football field, he was known as a kind-hearted person who cared about others,” it read. “Tyre had a long and prosperous life in front of him that was cut short by this tragic event.”