Latest news with #FreeFall
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Yahoo
Family honors Tyre Sampson on anniversary of his death with snack shop, push for ride safety
The Brief Tyre Sampson's family opened "Tyre's Snack Shop" in Illinois to honor his memory three years after his fatal fall from the FreeFall ride at ICON Park. The shop features Tyre's favorite foods and donates 10% of proceeds to the community. His father, Yarnell Sampson, is also advocating for stricter amusement park safety regulations and plans to expand the shop to underserved areas. ORLANDO, Fla. - Tyre Sampson's family opened "Tyre's Snack Shop" in Illinois to honor his memory three years after his fatal fall from the FreeFall ride at ICON Park. What we know Monday marks three years since 14-year-old Tyre Sampson fell to his death from the FreeFall ride at ICON Park in Orlando. His family was awarded $310 million in a wrongful death lawsuit last December. To honor his memory, they recently opened "Tyre's Snack Shop" in their hometown of Madison, Illinois, offering some of Tyre's favorite treats. The shop also has a community-focused mission, with 10% of proceeds going back to local initiatives. What we don't know It remains unclear when a planned Orlando location of Tyre's Snack Shop will open or what specific timeline the family has for expanding to other underserved communities. Additionally, details on the progress of a proposed safety bill to prevent similar amusement park tragedies have not been disclosed. The backstory Tyre Sampson was visiting Orlando for spring break when he slipped from his seat on the FreeFall ride and fell 400 feet to his death. Investigators later found that park staff should not have allowed him to board due to safety restrictions. His father, Yarnell Sampson, has since worked to keep his son's legacy alive while also advocating for stricter ride safety regulations. What they're saying "You know, losing a child [is] never an easy thing, but you have to shed some light behind the situation," said Yarnell Sampson. "Don't wish this on my worst enemy. The sleepless nights, the headaches, the aggravation, the pain, the cruelty," he added, reflecting on his loss. On the inspiration behind the snack shop, he said, "The Tyre Snack Shop was designed for children and adults to enjoy together. A family-friendly atmosphere [where] kids should have a free, safe zone." Sampson also emphasized affordability, saying, "Kids could come up with four or five dollars. We can give them something to eat, right? They can be affordable and they can be full. That's the goal." Big picture view Beyond honoring Tyre's memory, Yarnell Sampson is pushing for change. He plans to open additional snack shops in underserved communities, including one in Central Florida. He is also advocating for new legislation aimed at improving safety regulations for amusement park rides nationwide, hoping to prevent future tragedies. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source This story was written based on information shared by Yarnell Sampson, father of Tyre Sampson, and previous reporting from FOX 35 News.
USA Today
20-03-2025
- USA Today
Ex-technician says ride operator ignored safety issues before teen's deadly fall
Ex-technician says ride operator ignored safety issues before teen's deadly fall Show Caption Hide Caption Trial begins in lawsuit over Tyre Sampson death Jury selection was set to begin in a lawsuit against the manufacturers of the FreeFall ride at ICON Park, where a 14-year-old fell to his death in 2022. Fox - 35 Orlando A former maintenance technician who worked on an Orlando amusement park ride before 14-year-old Tyre Sampson died in a shocking fall from it in 2022 claims he alerted supervisors of safety issues that were ignored before the incident. In a lawsuit filed Wednesday seeking over $50,000, Austin Campbell-Alexander said he alerted his supervisor that a ride operator was using replacement sensors on some of the Free Fall ride's seats to allow larger passengers to ride than the seats were designed to accommodate, overriding the ride's safety equipment. "Such an override was knowingly dangerous to the public as the Freefall ride's manufacturer set weight and height limits for riders," the lawsuit, which was viewed by USA TODAY asserted. This was the safety issue that investigators later determined led to Sampson's death at Orlando's ICON Park on March 24, 2022. Sampson's family was awarded $310 million last year in a suit against the ride's manufacturer, Funtime-Handels. "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," Campbell-Alexander's attorneys John Morgan and Greg Schmitz of the Morgan & Morgan Law Firm said in a statement. The lawyers representing the ride's operators, Eagle Drop Slingshot and other companies, said Campbell-Alexander's claims "are in direct conflict with statements he provided following the accident, which will no doubt be demonstrated in Court." "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," Trevor Arnold and Brian Bieber of the Pennsylvania-based GrayRobinson firm said in a statement to USA TODAY. Campbell-Alexander's attorneys denied that he adjusted the sensors on his own and said he didn't have the authority or the training to do so. The decisions about the sensors and operation of the ride were solely with the defendants, they said. What happened to Tyre Sampson The Free Fall ride was designed to carry 30 riders at a time and rise to the top, tilt forward and then free fall nearly 400 feet at speeds reaching over 75 mph. Sampson slipped out the bottom of the seat on the descent while the ride braked, witnesses said at the time. Video of the incident suggested he was propelled from his seat at high speeds. Attorneys for his family said there was no secondary seatbelt other than the over-the-shoulder harness. The ride was supposed to hold passengers up to 287 pounds, according to its manual. Sampson was about 6-foot-2 and about 380 pounds, a lawsuit filed by his family said. "The cause of the subject accident was that Tyre Sampson was not properly secured in the seat primarily due to mis-adjustment of the harness proximity sensor," said a 2022 report from the forensic engineering firm hired by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to investigate the cause of the accident. "The mis-adjustment of the sensor allowed both safety lights to illuminate, improperly satisfying the ride's electronic safety mechanisms allowing the ride to commence even though the ride was unsafe." Ex-employee claims safety issues were reported In Campbell-Alexander's suit, the former technician claimed an operations manager manually bypassed the normal safety features of some of the rides' seats. The lawsuit said he reported this issue to his supervisor. Campbell-Alexander said he learned of the issues around mid-January, but the lawsuit doesn't say when he reported them. He also raised concerns about a lack of training given to technicians, the lawsuit said. The lawsuit also claims that about two weeks before Sampson's death, Campbell-Alexander and another employee discovered a cylinder that locks and holds riders into their seats was overheating when the ride was operating. The lawsuit says employees tried to fix the ride, but realized a technician would need to come reprogram the ride from Austria, where the manufacturer is based. "Nonetheless, despite knowing a 're-program' was necessary, Defendants went ahead and continued operating the FreeFall ride, bypassed the safety issue, and disregarded the safety risks this would pose to patrons," the lawsuit said. Other safety issues discovered also went unaddressed and the ride continued to operate, the lawsuit claimed. Campbell-Alexander said after Sampson's death, he was asked by his supervisors to "backfill blank maintenance logs and sign off on certain maintenance tasks as having been performed by him and one of Plaintiff's co-workers." He refused, and was later placed on paid leave for nearly a year before he was fired, the lawsuit said. Campbell-Alexander alleges in the lawsuit that his firing was retaliatory. The Free Fall ride has since been taken down. Contributing: N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY
Miami Herald
20-03-2025
- Miami Herald
Worker warned free fall ride was unsafe, then teen fell to his death, Florida suit says
A maintenance technician repeatedly flagged safety issues with an Orlando free fall ride that continued to operate anyway, then a 14-year-old boy fell out and died, according to a Florida lawsuit. The worker said he refused to falsify safety logs after the incident, so he was fired, and now he's saying his former employers violated whistleblower protection laws. The latest lawsuit comes after a jury decided the Austrian ride manufacturer must pay the family of Tyre Sampson $310 million after he fell to his death in 2022 on one of the world's tallest drop rides. 'Our clients promptly investigated the tragic accident that resulted in the death of Tyre Sampson,' attorneys for the ride operators said in a statement. 'Upon discovering that (the former employee) 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 (the former employee) and other employees' conduct, we proactively notified investigating authorities.' In the months leading up to Sampson's death in 2022, the technician had flagged safety issues with the 400-foot drop free fall ride to his superiors at ICON Park, according to the lawsuit filed in Orange County on March 19. The worker said he learned the operations manager 'was overriding the FreeFall ride's safety equipment by using a replacement sensor for seats 1 and 2 to allow those seats to accommodate larger patrons over certain height and weight limits,' his attorneys wrote in the filing. The tech reported this, but he was ignored, and the ride continued to run as usual, according to the filing. He and a co-worker also found that a cylinder meant to hold the rider onto the seat was overheating, indicating an electrical issue that the two couldn't fix on their own, the lawsuit says. Some of the wiring was redone, but a technician from the manufacturer needed to reprogram the ride to solve the issues, according to the complaint. 'Nonetheless, despite knowing a 're-program' was necessary, (ride operators) went ahead and continued operating the FreeFall ride, bypassed the safety issue and disregarded the safety risks this would pose to patrons,' the lawsuit said. Then, on March 24, 2022, Tyre Sampson, a middle school football player on the honor roll, visited the amusement park on spring break, and no one mentioned any height or weight restrictions before he got on the ride and was killed, his family wrote in a lawsuit. A report from an outside engineering firm found Sampson was placed in Seat 1, which someone had 'manually loosened, adjusted and tightened to allow a restraint opening of near 7 inches,' rather than the typical 3 inches. During a subsequent investigation, the maintenance technician said he believed his employers had manipulated the seat sensors to accommodate passengers that exceeded the weight requirements in order to turn a profit, the lawsuit says. He said in the lawsuit his employers asked him to 'back-fill blank maintenance logs' after the accident to make it seem like his team had done maintenance it hadn't really done, according to the filing. He said no, was placed on leave and was later fired for this reason, the lawsuit says. 'At all times, we cooperated with the investigators,' the ride operator's attorneys said in a statement. 'We worked diligently to resolve the litigation and claims with Tyre's family as well as the administrative agencies involved. (The former employee's) claims are in direct conflict with statements he provided following the accident, which will no doubt be demonstrated in Court.' Sampson's family described him as kind-hearted and caring. 'Tyre had along and prosperous life in front of him that was cut short by this tragic event,' family wrote.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Yahoo
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 article was originally published on
NBC News
20-03-2025
- NBC News
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."
