Tire Sampson, 14, who was 6 feet, 5 inches tall and over 300 pounds, fell from his seat on the Orlando Free Fall ride, located in Icon Park along a busy road in the heart of the Orlando tourist area. Samson was a high school footballer in the St. Louis area who dreamed of playing pro ball. His youth soccer coach, AJ Jones, told WKMG-TV that Sampson weighed 320 pounds at the time of his death. An operation and maintenance manual published by CBS News and prepared by the manufacturer of the route, Funtime Handels GmbH, from Dölsach, Austria, says that the maximum weight for passengers should be 130 kg or 286 lbs. A makeshift memorial to Tire Sampson is unveiled outside the Orlando Free Fall Walk at ICON Park on Sunday, March 27, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. Sampson fell to his death while on a walk. Phelan M. Ebenhack / AP The manual also states: “Be careful when looking for large guests to fit in the seats. Check that they fit the seat contour and that the bracket fits properly. If not – Do not let this person drive.” An accident report filed after the incident says Sampson “got out of his seat” as the track began to brake, but said “the belt was still lowered and locked when the track stopped,” a CBS correspondent said. News Manuel Bojorquez.
The 430-foot walkway, which is considered the tallest independent tower in the world, is just 11 feet shorter than Orlando’s tallest building, the SunTrust Building. It takes the spectators to this height, tilts the seats so that they face the ground for a moment or two, and then drops to the ground at speeds of 75 mph or more. The incident is being investigated by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
“We hope that the following findings will help us all know how this tragedy happened and will expedite any changes that are necessary to better protect amusement parks in Florida,” said FDACS Commissioner Nikki Fried. The lawyers of the Samson family want to know if the negligence regarding his size or other factors played a role. “This young man was athletic and big-bodied. He had no way of knowing that,” Bob Hilliard, a Texas lawyer representing Thierry’s mother, Nekia Dodd, said in an interview Saturday. “This is going to be a matter of lack of supervision and lack of education. A direct case of negligence.” CBS News contacted Funtime Handels GmbH, Icon Park and the SlingShot Group, which manages the route, for their responses. Icon Park said in an earlier statement that it was working closely with the researchers and that the Orlando FreeFall route would be closed indefinitely. The SlingShot Group said last week: “We are devastated by the incident that cost the life of one of our guests. We express our deepest condolences and deepest condolences to his family and friends.” The Associated Press contributed to this report