The 14-year-old boy who fell to his death from a Florida amusement park ride reportedly knew something was wrong with the ride’s safety. Tyre Sampson, from Missouri, sadly passed away on Thursday, March 24 after falling from a 430-foot Orlando Free Ride fall at ICON Park. The ride, known as the world’s tallest free-standing drop tower ride, proved to be fatal for the boy.
- The horrific tragedy was captured on video. Various people who were on the ride and on the ground posted footage of the horrific accident, which showed Sampson falling from the ride all the way down to the ground. Many of the videos were posted to social media.
- Sampson was rushed to a local hospital after his fall. However, he was unable to be saved and was soon after pronounced dead from his injuries. Orange County Sheriff John Mina mourned the “terrible tragedy” and the loss of the teen’s life.
- Sampson’s father says his son knew something was wrong. In an interview with WOFL-TV, Sampson’s dad said that “wen the ride took off, that’s when he was feeling uncomfortable. He was like, ‘What’s going on?’”
- The teen noticed that something was wrong with his harness during the ride. As his father explained: “That’s when he started freaking out, and he was explaining to his friend next to him, ‘I don’t know man. If I don’t make it down, please tell my Mom and Daddy I love them.’ For him to say something like that, he must have felt something.”
- ICON Park released a statement following Sampson’s death. “Tonight, the ICON Park family is grieving because of the tragedy involving Tyre Sampson. Our heartfelt thoughts are with his family and friends,” it said. “We are in close coordination and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement and regulators regarding our tenant, the SlingShot Group.” It remains unclear what exactly led Sampson to fall from the ride, but an investigation is ongoing.
