Florida amusement park ride that teen feel to his death from dismantled

Workers at a Florida amusement park began dismantling the ride Wednesday after a 14-year-old boy fell to his death from the attraction.

Tyree Sampson, a teenager visiting Orlando from Missouri, fell from a 430-foot free fall at ICON Park on March 24, 2022. Simpson’s mother, Nikia Dodd, has advocated for her son to take down the ride in the months since he arrived. Death and Wednesday were there when the ride was taken down.

“I hate that I have to come down in these circumstances,” he said during a press conference. “It’s a bittersweet moment, you know. The ride is coming down and I’m thankful for that, but my son isn’t coming back.”

Dodd’s attorney, Michael Haggard, announced Wednesday that a settlement had been reached. A wrongful death lawsuit Dodd filed against the park and ride operator.

Trevor Arnold, an attorney for ride operator Orlando Slingshot, said he was pleased the settlement had been reached. Neither lawyer disclosed details of the settlement.

Arnold said ride operator Tire supports efforts to pass the Sampson bill, which aims to prevent similar accidents in the future by preventing attraction operators in Florida from making unauthorized modifications to ride restraint systems.

In Sampson’s case, investigators found Safety sensor was manually adjusted to allow for larger riders. Sampson weighed about 380 pounds at the time of his death, but his safety manual stated the rider’s riding limit was 287 pounds.

A spokeswoman said ICON Park, where the ride is located, is also supporting the proposed safety legislation.

An ICON Park spokesperson said, “We agree with the goal of ensuring additional due diligence and oversight with mid-to-small attraction operators for ride training, testing and documentation processes, which we adhere to our strict ride safety protocols. Also focus.” “While the freefall ride is not owned and was not controlled or operated by ICON Park, as it is a tenant on the property, we agree with the owner’s decision to close the ride and our hearts go out to the family. Because they are witnesses to this important milestone.”