Maintenance technician claims he flagged safety issues with Free Fall ride before teen plunged to his death
A former maintenance technician has filed a lawsuit saying he had raised safety concerns about the free-fall ride at a Florida amusement park month before a Missouri teenager fell off and plunged to his death in 2022.
Tyre Sampson, 14, was visiting from Missouri during spring break when he went on a free-fall ride at ICON Park in Orlando. Sampson fell at least 100 feet from the ride and suffered numerous broken bones and internal injuries.
The autopsy showed Sampson weighed 383 pounds, nearly 100 pounds more than the ride's 285-pound limit. A report into the death found that the teen was not properly secured because the ride had been adjusted manually to double the size of the opening for restraints on two seats.
Austin Campbell-Alexander, a former maintenance technician at the park, claimed he noticed safety issues with that Free Fall ride and flagged them to his bosses — but they continued to operate the ride.
He said he noticed issues with the ride's seats and structural integrity in January 2022 and he noticed cracks in the joints of the ride's gondola. He also alleged the ride's safety equipment was being overridden by an operations manager using a replacement sensor for two seats to accommodate heavier riders than normally allowed.
Campbell-Alexander worked at the park from April 2021 until his termination on March 31, 2023.
He filed a state whistleblower lawsuit Wednesday in Orange County Florida civil court against Orlando Eagle Drop Slingshot LLC and the Slingshot group of companies, described as the constructors, operators or owners of the park ride.
Trevor Arnold, an attorney for ride's operators, countered Campbell-Alexander's allegations saying: 'Mr. Campbell-Alexander's claims are in direct conflict with statements he provided following the accident, which will no doubt be demonstrated in Court.'
He alleged that beginning March 2022 — two weeks before Sampson's death — he and another coworker noticed the pneumatic cylinder on the seats — a metal cylinder described as responsible for locking and holding the customers into the seat — was too hot. The suit also alleges they noticed issues with the ride's electrical switches.
The suit said that when issues are present with the pneumatic cylinders 'it does not allow for the seats to secure properly, which puts riders at risk.'
Campbell-Alexander described the issues as "dangerous" and alerted his supervisor. The following morning the wiring was changed, but the ride would not run due the changes.
The suit said that Campbell-Alexander notified his supervisor every time he noticed a safety issue.
The suit said that it was determined a technician from the ride's manufacturer in Austria had to come and re-program the ride. Yet the defendants continued to operate the ride bypassing the safety issue, the suit alleged.
'By operating a knowingly unsafe ride to the public, defendants prioritized profits over patron safety,' the complaint said.
Three days following Sampson's death, Campbell-Alexander was called into the office of Richie Armstrong, an official with Orlando Slingshot, to be interviewed by an investigator hired by the defendants.
During the investigation period, Campbell-Alexander said he was allegedly asked by his bosses to backfill blank maintenance logs and sign off on certain maintenance task as having been performed and he objected. Around April 2022 he was placed on leave and not allowed to return to the park.
Sampson's family reached a settlement with ICON Park and Eagle Drop Slingshot, the ride's owner in 2023. Last year, a Florida jury also awarded the family $310 million in a wrongful death suit against the Austrian company that manufactured the ride, Funtime Handels GmbH.
After the civil suit with Sampson's family was settled, Armstrong called Plaintiff on March 23, 2023 saying he was being terminated.
'Clearly, Plaintiff was only put on paid leave while defendants attempted to resolve the civil lawsuit with the family of T. Sampson because Plaintiff refused to fraudulently affirm false maintenance logs,' the suit said.
The complaint alleges violation of Florida's private sector whistle-blower act, and demands back pay and front pay in lieu of reinstatement and damages in excess of $50,000.
Greg Schmitz, an attorney for Campbell-Alexander, said in a statement: "The defendants allegedly refused to take the necessary steps to fix the problem and chose to keep the ride open, putting all riders at risk and ultimately contributing to the death" of Sampson.
"Instead of taking accountability for their actions, the defendants allegedly tried to cover up their mistakes and, when Mr. Alexander refused to help, placed him on leave and terminated him," he continued. "We will work to hold Orlando Eagle Drop Slingshot accountable and send a message to all ride owners and operators that you cannot sweep safety concerns under the rug or punish workers who bring them to light."
Trevor Arnold, an attorney for ride's operators, claimed that Campbell-Alexander's work on the ride had contributed to Sampson's death.
'Our clients promptly investigated the tragic accident that resulted in the death of Tyre Sampson. Upon discovering that Mr. Campbell-Alexander adjusted the sensors that resulted in the accident, he was suspended and relieved of any further involvement or access to any rides. Upon learning of Mr. Campbell-Alexander's and other employees' conduct, we proactively notified investigating authorities," Arnold added.
The attorney said the ride operators were cooperative with investigators and "worked diligently to resolve the litigation and claims with Tyre's family as well as the administrative agencies involved."
The Free Fall ride was dismantled in March 2023.This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
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