The operator’s mistake is believed to be the main cause of death of a 14-year-old boy who slipped out of his seat on a tower ride in a Florida amusement park and threw himself on the sidewalk, officials said Monday.
Nicole Nicky Fried, Florida’s commissioner for agriculture and consumer services, announced the findings of a forensic engineer’s report from a field investigation into the March 24 incident that killed Tyr Sampson of St. Louis, Missouri, at ICON Park in Orlando.
Freud said the report showed that the operator of the FreeFall attraction in the park, the world’s tallest free-standing falling tower at 430 feet, “made manual adjustments to the trip, which leads to danger.”
Family and friends of Tire Sampson leave flowers and other vigils at the Orlando Free Fall in ICON Park in Orlando, Florida, March 28, 2022. Sampson, 14, was killed when he fell from a ride last week.
In the report of Quest Engineering & Failure Analysis, Inc. it is said that manual manipulations were made on the seat on which Sampson sat to allow the belt retaining hole to loosen, apparently to accommodate the more than 300-pound teenager. Freud said that the opening of the belt stop was “almost twice as large as the normal range of opening the stop”.
Freud said the correction by the individual operator, who was not identified in the report, allowed FreeFall’s sensor lights to light up, “incorrectly satisfying” the electronic safety mechanisms and allowing the trip to work (although Mr. Sampson was not. was properly secured in his place. “
“This report answers the question of what happened mechanically, as our investigation is now entering the next phase of how and why it happened, while looking at potential penalties, along with any changes in the rules and regulations needed to prevent future tragedies, “Fried said. at a press conference.
The report shows that the average hole for other seats during the trip is 3.33 inches, which is considered “normal”. Sampson’s seat was adjusted before the trip began to an opening of 7.19 inches, the report found.
“During a travel delay, Tyr Sampson slipped through the gap between the seat and the belt,” and died, according to the report.
The forensic engineer who wrote the report said his findings were based in part on a ride test, video of the incident and reconstruction with the help of two people, one 6 feet 3, the other 6 feet 5 and both weighing between 200 and 300 pounds. .
Orlando’s free fall from International Drive, hours after a 14-year-old boy fell to his death from riding, March 25, 2022, in Orlando, Florida.
“During our investigation, two people were placed in a seat with an opening ranging from 6 to 10 inches. Both managed to sneak through the detention opening without assistance,” the report said.
The forensic engineer’s investigation concluded that the ride “was not mechanically or electrically damaged.”
The report also found that “there are many other potential contributions to the cause of the accident”, but did not specify.
Fried did not answer questions from reporters and said he declined to comment further until the investigation was completed.
She said the FreeFall trip would remain closed indefinitely.
Fried said she spoke with Sampson’s parents before the press conference to brief them on the forensic engineer’s report.
State’s Geraldine Thompson, D-Orlando, told a news conference that the manufacturer’s FreeFall guidelines explicitly stated that the rider’s maximum weight was 250 pounds.
“Tire Sampson weighed over 300 pounds. So, yes, that’s beyond the manufacturer’s instructions,” Thompson said.
Thompson said she was “very concerned” about the report. She said she was in contact with the Sampson family’s lawyer, Ben Crump.
“As you can imagine, the family is in shock,” Thompson said. “You’re sending your 14-year-old son on spring break and he’s not coming back alive. So they’re in shock.”
ICON Park said in a statement to ABC News on Monday that it was “deeply concerned” by the report’s findings.
“We are deeply concerned that preliminary findings from the state investigation show that the sensor of the Orlando FreeFall attraction, owned and operated by the SlingShot Group, was incorrectly corrected after the sensor was initially secured on site,” it said. in the statement. . “ICON Park is committed to providing a safe and fun experience for families. We will continue to support the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services with their ongoing investigation. “
SlingShot Group, the attraction’s operator, did not immediately respond to ABC News’s request for comment on Monday.
The company said in a statement after Sampson’s death that it was “heartbroken” about the incident and was cooperating with authorities and officials in the investigation.
Victoria Arancio of ABC News contributed to this report.
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