ORLANDO, Fla. — An autopsy report for the 14-year-old boy who was killed falling from a thrill ride at ICON Park confirmed he far surpassed the ride’s weight capacity.
On March 24, Tyre Sampson, who according to the report released Monday stood at 6-foot-2 and weighed 383 pounds, died of blunt force trauma, according to the Orange County Medical Examiner.
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.
When the drop tower ride at ICON Park plunged down, Sampson slipped through the safety harnesses and fell to his death. He was on vacation from St. Louis.
The autopsy report indicates Sampson’s body showed multiple hemorrhages in the head and neck and internal and external lacerations, fractures and abrasions. The Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death an accident.
A Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services report released shortly after the incident found the operator of the Orlando Free Fall drop tower manually changed sensors on specific seats on the ride.
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. Sampson’s harness was found to be down and locked when the ride stopped.
In a pending Orange County lawsuit, Sampson’s parents, Nekia Dodd and Yarnell Sampson, claim the ride owner, SlingShot Group, manipulated safety sensors and did not post the attraction’s weight or height limits at its entrance.
They named more than a dozen defendants in the negligence suit, including companies associated with SlingShot Group and landlord ICON Park, along with various manufacturers and installers who worked on the drop tower.
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