Orlando drop tower ride tech alleges safety issues were ignored before Tyre Sampson's death: Lawsuit

Yahoo

20-03-2025

The Brief
A former maintenance technician alleges he raised safety concerns about the Orlando FreeFall ride weeks before 14-year-old Tyre Sampson's fatal fall in March 2022.
The lawsuit claims he was later asked to falsify maintenance logs and was fired when he refused.
Sampson's family won a $310 million wrongful death lawsuit, and Florida passed the Tyre Sampson Act to strengthen amusement ride safety regulations.
ORLANDO, Fla. - A former maintenance technician claims to have raised several safety concerns about the Orlando FreeFall ride at ICON Park, weeks before 14-year-old Tyre Sampson fell from the ride and died in March 2022, according to a new lawsuit.
The lawsuit also alleges that after Sampson's death, the technician was asked by his supervisors to fill out backdated maintenance logs and to "sign off" on certain maintenance tasks previously completed. When he refused, he was placed on leave and ultimately fired, the lawsuit states.
State investigators determined that Sampson was likely too large to ride Orlando FreeFall and that his seat had been adjusted to accommodate his size. That, in turn, allowed him to slip beneath the seat as the ride dropped 400 feet at speeds upwards of 75 mph.
According to the lawsuit, which was filed by an Orlando-based law firm, Austin Campbell-Alexander was hired as a maintenance technician and in charge of several rides and attractions, including the Orlando FreeFall. Around mid-January 2022, Campbell-Alexander claims that he noticed safety issues with the "seats and overall structural integrity" of Orlando FreeFall.
The lawsuit alleges that another employee would override safety sensors on seats used to accommodate larger riders. In March 2022, Campbell-Alexander and another employee allegedly noticed that a metal cylinder responsible for locking riders in their seats was "too hot," as well as cracks in the joints of the gondolas.
After Sampson's death, Campbell-Alexander said he was asked to "back-fill blank maintenance logs and sign off on certain maintenance tasks as having been performed by him and (a co-worker)." When he refused, he was then placed on paid leave, and eventually fired, the lawsuit claims.
To be clear, the lawsuit has been filed against Orlando Eagle Drop Slingshot, the owner and operator of the ride, and other affiliated companies. ICON Park is not listed as a defendant. ICON Park is an amusement park in Orlando that is home to several rides, attractions, and shows.
You can read the lawsuit below:
Click to open this PDF in a new window.
What we don't know
It remains unclear whether other employees shared similar safety concerns or raised complaints before the accident. The lawsuit does not specify whether any other parties had knowledge of these alleged maintenance issues.
What they're saying
FOX 35 News contacted the law firm representing Orlando Eagle Drop Slingshot. Trevor Arnold and Brian Bieber, GrayRobinson, PA sent us the following statement:
"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.At all times, we cooperated with the investigators. We worked diligently to resolve the litigation and claims with Tyre's family as well as the administrative agencies involved. Mr. Campbell-Alexander's claims are in direct conflict with statements he provided following the accident, which will no doubt be demonstrated in Court."
The backstory
Tyre Sampson fell to his death from the Orlando FreeFall ride after his seat was manually adjusted, creating a fatal gap in the restraints, according to investigators. The ride, which had opened just months earlier, was permanently shut down. His death led to stricter amusement ride safety laws.
On March 24, 2022, 14-year-old Tyre Sampson a stand-out football player from St. Louis, Missouri, was in Florida with friends for Spring Break. They went to ICON Park and Sampson was on the Orlando FreeFall ride, a 400-foot drop tower.
State investigators determined that Sampson was placed in a seat that had been "manually loosened, adjusted and tightened," allowing for a greater gap than normal between his harness and his seat. When the ride dropped towards the ground and began to slow, Sampson slipped through those restraints andfell 70 feet to the ground. He died at the hospital.
The Orlando FreeFall was a 430-foot drop tower ride, billed as the "tallest" drop tower in the world. The ride opened at ICON Park in December 2021 to much fanfare.
It was created by German-based ride maker, Funtime.
After Sampson's death, the ride was shut down and was then permanently closed. A year later, in March 2023, the ride was torn down.
In May 2023, the Florida Legislature passed the Tyre Sampson Act.
The bill adds safety standards and measures for amusement rides, particularly new rides, in Florida:
Under the act, permanent amusement rides operated for the first time in Florida to have a specified date to have a ride commissioning and certification report on file with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services within a specific timeframe.
It also requires additional testing and verification, updates requirements for when ride operators have to report accidents or injuries, and sets training and retraining standards for employees.
It also allows the Department of Agriculture to shut down an amusement ride and take "appropriate administrative actions under certain circumstances."
The bill was one of the primary demands of Sampson's parents, Nekia Dodd and Yarnell Sampson, following their son's death.
Dig deeper
Continuing coverage: Orlando FreeFall death
Teen dies after fall from drop tower ride at Orlando's ICON PARK, authorities say
Video shows teen fall from drop tower ride at ICON Park
'You guys are sure you checked him?' | 911 calls released in Orlando FreeFall death
Operations manual shows boy exceeded attraction's weight limits
Experts: Teen's safety harness was not properly secured before fall
Company behind Orlando FreeFall owns other rides in and around Florida
Operator made 'manual adjustments' to Tyre Sampson's seat, report says
Tyre Sampson's family wins $310 million in lawsuit against ride manufacturer:
Orlando Free Fall owner, Slingshot Group, appeals state fine, investigation into Tyre Sampson's death
In December 2024, a Florida jury awarded Tyre Sampson's parents a total of $310 million in damages in a civil wrongful death lawsuit following Sampson's death.
Funtime, the German-based ride manufacturer, did not attend the civil trial.
The lawsuit alleged that Funtime could have installed a $660 harness that might have saved Sampson's life.
The Source
An Orlando-based law confirm filed a new lawsuit against the owner of Orlando FreeFall on March 19, 2025. Additional information from previous reporting by FOX 35, including interviews and press conferences with Tyre Sampson's parents, state investigations into Orlando FreeFall and Sampson's death, and the civil trial.