ORLANDO, Fla. — A major attraction in a central Florida tourist area where a Missouri teenager fell to his death will be closed because of an accident, the owner said Thursday.
The decision to remove the more than 400-foot-long (122-meter) ride, which opened last December in Orlando’s International Drive neighborhood, was directly related to death 14-year-old Tyro Sampson last March, owner Orlando Slingshot said in a statement.
Sampson, who lived near St. Louis, Missouri, was visiting Orlando on spring break when he died in the fall. The company also said it plans to create a scholarship in the teenager’s name.
“We are devastated by Tyr’s death. We listened to the wishes of the Tyro family and the community and made the decision to destroy FreeFall,” said Richie Armstrong, Orlando Slingshot Official Spokesman.
An exposure revealed that Tyree Sampson suffered multiple broken bones and internal injuries in the fall, which was ruled an accidental death. He revealed that Sampson weighed 383 pounds (173 kilograms), well over the 287-pound (130-kilogram) weight limit set by the water authority.
An initial report outside engineers hired by the Florida Department of Agriculture said sensors on the ride were manually adjusted to double the size of the opening for restraints on two seats, causing the teenager to not be properly restrained. The report says there are many other “potential contributors” to the accident and that a full review of the ride’s design and operation is needed.
Tyro Sampson’s family filed a statement lawsuit against the owner, manufacturer and owner of the ride, alleging that they were negligent and failed to provide a safe ride.
“While this announcement is long overdue, today’s news is a relief to the grieving father of Tyre Sampson, who has been advocating for this since the day Tyre passed away,” said Ben Crump and Bob Hilliard, attorneys for Sampson’s father. . statement
The time of the trip’s termination was not specified.
