He died at the hospital. Tyre Sampson, a 14-year-old Missouri amateur football player, died after falling from the Orlando Free Fall coaster at ICON Park. Tyre Sampson, 14, of Missouri, died March 24 after plunging from the Free Fall attraction at ICON Park, officials said. Meanwhile, Dollywood, a Tennessee amusement park jointly owned by singer Dolly Parton and Herschend Family Entertainment, told CNN they are temporarily closing their tower ride, Drop Line, out of an "abundance of caution.". Nikki Fried, commissioner of the state's Department of Agriculture and . Lawyers for his family want to know if negligence regarding his size, or other factors, played a role in his death. Sampson was in Orlando with a friend's family for vacation and his size has been . The ride has been closed until further notice while the incident is investigated. At a press conference on Friday, Orange County Sheriff John Mina said: 'It appears to be just a terrible tragedy. Maybe he likes a private life. Looks like his arms are broken and his legs,' the person said. People visit a makeshift memorial for Tyre Sampson outside the Free Fall ride at ICON Park on March 27 in Orlando, Fla. Officials: Operator made unsafe 'adjustments' to ride where Florida teen fell to his death, immediate serious danger to public health. The operations manual for Orlando FreeFall, the drop tower ride at ICON Park where a 14-year-old boy died last week after he seemingly fell out of the ride's restraints, indicates that the boy exceeded the ride's weight restrictions. He was a big teddy bear, a gentle giant, Yarnell Sampson said, adding Tyre would give the shirt off his back to anyone who needed it. However, it is not clear if Sampson fit the contours of the seat or if the bracket had fit properly. Missouri teen Tyre Sampson died on Thursday night when he fell from the world's tallest free-standing drop tower ride in ICON Park . Tyre's father, Yarnell Sampson, told Fox 13 his son was visiting Orlando from St. Louis, Missouri, with his football team. According to a report from the state agency, the ride had its initial permit inspection on Dec. 20, 2021, and no problems were found. During a press conference on March 25, 2022, Orange County. If this is not so - Do not let this person ride," the manual states (bold formatting same as manual). 'At first we thought it was a piece of the ride or whatever until we got a little closer and it was a person laying on the ground. The 21-year-old employee was performing a safety check about halfway up the 450-foot-tall ride when he plummeted to his death just before 8am on September 14 2020. Sampson was a middle school football player in the St. Louis area who dreamed of playing pro ball. "It is no need for an extra safety or seat belt because the seat restraint system fulfil (sic) more than the requirements," adding that the rides were built to meet German TUV standards. Be careful when seeing if large guests fit into the seats, the manual reads. After they were back on the ground, video shows a different park worker run over to the ride attendant and ask: 'You didn't check it!? "Be careful when seeing if large guests fit into the seats. The report said there were no mechanical failures; instead, evidence showed tightening of screws and then loosening and movement of sensors to a new location on his ride seat. Any further information on his education will be updated soon. The shocking death of Tyre Sampson has been no exception. FreeFall and Orlando Slingshot are both owned by SlingShot Group of Companies and are located at ICON Park. Operators call it the worlds tallest freestanding drop tower, the sheriffs office said. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Thats when he began freaking out, Yarnell continued. It plunges to the ground at 75 miles per hour androtates around a central tower as it rises. Sheriffs investigators will determine whether the incident was an accident or intentional, and from an initial investigation, it appears to be a terrible tragedy, Orange County Sheriff John Mina said. If this is not so Do not let this person ride.". Everybody will remember him as the football player who had a bright future, Gregory said. He was on vacation with his friend's family who watched helplessly as he plummeted to the ground while the ride dropped at 75mph. 14-year-old, Tyre Sampson, died when he fell from the 430ft (131m) ride . Sampson retained Ben Crump, famous for his civil rights and . She said officials need to consider safeguards, such as additional inspections if adjustments to rides are made after the initial inspection. Jennifer Smith, Chief Reporter The boy fell out of his seat and landed on the ground soon afterwards to the horror of the other riders. A woman who called 911 told a dispatcher that Sampson was facedown, wasnt responsive and appeared to have broken his arms and legs. Why cant he walk back? 25, 2022, 5:42 p.m. . Shay Johnson, a woman claiming to be the cousin of Tyre Sampson, who died in a fall from an Orlando thrill ride, has no ties to the family, the teen's mother told the Orange County Sheriff's Office. "We are in close coordination and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement and regulators regarding our tenant, the SlingShot Group.". In a letter sent by Funtime Thrill Rides, a general manager wrote that the seat and shoulder restraintshas [two] independent locking devices, and the shoulder restraints are monitored.". ", RELATED VIDEO: College Freshman, 18, Dies from Accidental Fall Hours After Arriving in Mexico for Spring Break. The 430-foot-tall ride, billed as theworld's tallest free-standing drop tower, is just 11 feet shorter than Orlando's tallest building, the SunTrust building. According to reports, a teenage boy passed away after falling from an amusement - park ride Thursday in Orlando said authorities. Tyre Sampson, a teenager from Missouri, passed away on March 24, 2022 after falling off an amusement park ride in Orlando, Florida. Yarnell explained that his son told his friends, I dont know, man, if I dont make it down, safely, can you please tell my momma and daddy that I love them., The elder Sampson detailed further, For him to say something like that, he must have felt something. Pointing to possible recklessness of the rides operator and park owner, who allowed the teen to enter FreeFall despite his size, Yarnell declared, This particular ride decided: Yeah, we can take you, get on, when nobody else would allow him to get on the rides. He continued, I wish I was there to tell him I love him, that Im sorry. An 8th grade middle schooler and aspiring pro athlete attending City Garden Montessori from Berkeley, Missouri, Tyre Sampson was visiting Orlando to train with his football team and coaches. Its just sad a young man with a bright future taken away from him over a ride.. Tyre Sampson, 14, died on March 24 after he was ejected from the Free Fall drop tower ride at ICON Park in Orlando, Fla., a lawsuit filed by his parents says. "These mis-adjustments allowed the safety lights to illuminate, improperly satisfying the ride's electronic safety mechanisms that allowed the ride to operate even though Mr. Sampson was not properly secured in the seat," she said. In 2021, a maintenance technician who was not properly hooked up to a safety device plunged 225 feet to his death at a neighboring ride at the park, the 450-foot-tall StarFlyer swing ride. Tyre died after slipping out of his seat on the Orlando Free Fall ride at the ICON park at around 11pm. He was a Missouri high school student. When the magnets engaged the patron came out of the seat. And he was explaining to his friends, next to him, 'I don't know man, if I don't make it down, safely, can you please tell my mamma and daddy that I love . Which should not have happened, based on the manufacturers guidelines, Thompson said. As photos and new 911 call audio suggest that Tyre's safety harness may not have been properly secured, his father Yarnell Sampson says that the teen knew something was wrong as soon as the ride began to ascend. But the exact fact of his education has not been unpublished yet. "I wish I was there to tell him I love him. Plus, he had an NFL mentor, so he was definitely on the right path, Yarnell said in an interview with KMOV4. Tyre Sampson, a Missouri middle school football player who at 14 was already 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighed more than 300 pounds, died after falling from a drop tower ride in Florida. The father of the14-year-old boy who died falling from a theme park ride in Orlando has said that the boy believed something was wrong with his safety harness during the ride and asked his friend sitting next to him to tell his parents that he loved them. The drop tower has only been in operation for a few months . The adolescent went on a trip to Orlando's ICON park with his friends. Updated Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel . And the pain behind it could never be taken away, and sorry's not gonna take it back and no monies, no nothing in the world to replace the young man.". Yarnell Sampson questioning why son was allowed on the ride. The order formally closed the ride March 25, the day after the teen fell to his death from the drop tower-style ride in front of horrified onlookers. According to the description on the attraction's official site, StarFlyer has no age limit and no weight limit, and the minimum height required to go on the ride is just 44 inches. The adolescent went on a trip to Orlandos ICON park with his friends. The FreeFall takes riders up and then drops them nearly 400 feet at speeds that reach more than . Photos and video posted online apparently show that Tyre who was over 6 feet tall was not fully buckled into the ride, with a safety harness sitting far above those of the other riders. A video from the incident appears to show passengers on the ride discussing issues with a seat restraint Thursday night. And he was explaining to his friends, next to him, 'I don't know man, if I don't make it down, safely, can you please tell my mamma and daddy that I love them,'' said Sampson. The harrowing incident was captured on cell phone video and has since gone viral, triggering an outpouring of outrage and demands for answers into how such a tragedy could have ever happened. According to the companys manual, which was posted online by the FDACS, the maximum weight allowed for riding on the Orlando FreeFall is listed as 286 pounds. The ride then went up in the air and halted for around 10 seconds before dropping. On the internet, a frightening video of his tragic death has surfaced. Independent ride safety consultant and lecturer at the University of Florida Brian Avery explains. An operations and maintenance manual seen by CBS News and prepared by the ride's manufacturer, Funtime Handels GmbH, of Dlsach, Austria, says the maximum weight for passengers should be 130 kilograms, or 286 pounds. The slingshot ride also appears to be closed. At the young age of 14, Tyre Sampson mapped out his future: play professional football and buy his mom a house, according to his father Yarnell Sampson. Tyre and the rest of the group had been told moments earlier that there were no seatbelts on the ride. 'There ain't no seatbelts,' the ride attendant replied. He released the video online in order to draw attention to the employees failure to address safety issues. Nekia Dodd and Yarnell Sampson described living a parent's worst nightmare when they were each told their 14-year-old son, Tyre Sampson, had fallen to his death at a Florida amusement park. Tyre was visiting Orlando from St. Louis, Missouri for a football program, his dad Yarnell Sampson, previously told FOX 35, and was staying with another family. The next semi-annual inspection for the ride wasn't due for several more months. (Photo: Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel via AP, File) Even though we dont have a lot of specific information about his family. I saw the video of my son falling down, and I couldnt believe (it). RELATED: Teen falls from Florida ride: Video shows moments leading up to deadly plunge, RELATED: Ben Crump, Bob Hilliard hired to represent Sampson Family. Tyre Sampson, 14, of Missouri, died March 24 after plunging from the Free Fall attraction at ICON Park, officials said. In 2020, a park employee died while working on the StarFlyer ride. "My heart is so heavy right my grandson Tyre Sampson just passed away he had just got accepted to East Side High School he had so so so many plans this is unbelievable this gotta be a dream He . Tyre, a Missouri native, was visiting ICON Park on Thursday when he boarded the Orlando Free Fall ride, a 430-foot drop tower. Rachel Sharp. The grieving father said that Tyre began to panic and shared a chilling premonition with his two best friends, seated next to him on the ride. Tyre, a Missouri native, was visiting ICON Park on Thursday when he boarded the Orlando Free Fall ride, a 430-foot drop tower. He has a B.A. How Stanford graduate and ex-Google employee, 49, worked his way to the top as he takes over from Susan Wojcicki - but he has quite the challenge on his hands. Tyre Sampson, 14, plunged to his death from the Free Fall ride at Orlando's ICON Park on March 24. So young, and I wish it was me," Tyre's father, Yarnell Sampson, told NBC station WESH following the tragedy. Sampson fell from the ride during its operation and was taken to a local hospital, where he died of his injuries, authorities said. Icon Park said in an earlier statement that it is fully cooperating with investigators and that the Orlando FreeFall ride will be closed indefinitely. A teenager died after falling from a drop tower at Orlando-area's ICON Park. THE dad of a teen boy who died falling from a theme park ride said his son knew his safety harness was not fitted right. Deputies responded to the scene around 11 pm. He told Fox News his son began to panic when the Free Fall ride at Orlando took off on Thursday and knew his restraint bar was moving.. Yarnell added: "That's when he started freaking out. 'You will be truly missed son,' she said. Watch David Norths remarks commemorating 25 years of the World Socialist Web Site and donate today. A significant portion of the departments preliminary investigation includes information drawn from the manual of the manufacturer of FreeFall, Funtime Thrill Rides. John Stine, the director of marketing and sales for the Slingshot Group of Companies, the owner and operator of Funtime Thrill Rides in Florida, told News 6 there was a height requirement for Orlando FreeFall. And he was like whats going on? Yarnell told WOFL-TV. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Harness was still in a down and locked position when the ride stopped.". Other attractions refused to let him ride because he was too huge, according to Yarnell, but the Free Fall operators did. "During our investigation, two individuals were positioned in a seat with an opening ranging from 6 to 10 inches. Tyre Sampson died March 24 when he slipped through the gap between the harness and the seat on the Orlando FreeFall ride at ICON Park, an accident report found last week. We extend our condolences and deepest sympathy to his family and friends. 'When the ride took off, that's when he was feeling uncomfortable. Determining if operator error was a factor is only the initial stage of the investigation, Fried said, noting there are many other factors that may have potentially contributed. That I'm sorry. An accident report filed after the incident says Sampson "came out of his seat" as the ride began to brake, but says the "harness was still in a down and locked position when the ride stopped," CBS News correspondent Manuel Bojorquez reports. The heartbroken dad is demanding to. The ride stands 430-feet tall, and is billed as the world's tallest free-standing drop tower, according to the park's website. International Committee of the Fourth International, 14-year-old boy dies after falling from amusement park ride in Orlando, Florida, Ten-year-old boy killed, three girls injured in separate US amusement park accidents, Australia: Queensland coroner finds Ardent Leisure culpable for Dreamworld theme park deaths. "And it's just sad, a young man's bright future was taken away from him over a ride, an amusement park," Yarnell added. A previous posting of this story included quotes from a person who identified themselves as a family member, which was not the case. 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