Tyre Sampson Missouri football star id as ICON park Orlando Free fall ride 14 year old teen victim who fell to his death as questions of safety are now asked.
Just a tragic accident? A Missouri football star was identified as the 14-year-old boy who died after falling from the world’s tallest drop ride at Orlando’s ICON park, Thursday night.
Tyre Sampson of Missouri, was visiting central Florida with a friend’s family in what was suppose to be a ‘spring break get-away’ when the tragedy befell police said during a Friday press conference.
Police said they received a 911 call of an emergency at ICON Park in Orlando, Florida, just after 11pm local time on Thursday.
Witnesses said a rider had fallen off the Orlando Free Fall attraction according to Fox35.
Video of Sampson taken before the ride went into the air (see below) shows the teen ‘ominously’ sitting with his harness unbuckled and not pulled down to fasten in to his seat. It wasn’t clear if the harness was closed fully before the ride went into the air, or if the tour operator checked to ensure he was safely buckled in.
Teen Orlando victim was afraid he might die moments before ride: ‘tell my parents I love them if I don’t make it’
No seat belts?
Footage uploaded online (see below) shows the operator talking with riders before they take off into the air. As the ride starts, the worker yells: ‘Hey did you take your seat belt on the left side. Seat belt.’
The thrill seekers on board then start rotating up the illuminated column.
The passengers rise hundreds of feet above the ground before plunging at a rapid speed.
A 14-year-old boy fell from the ride and was taken to hospital, where he died.
Moments after the tragedy, workers of the Orlando Free Fall ride could be heard discussing safety measures.
Reported WKMG, in video transcript of workers amongst themselves immediately after the boy’s fall:
Worker 1: What are you doing?
Didn’t you check it?
Worker 2: I don’t know.
Worker 1: Didn’t you check it?
Worker 2: Yeah. The light was on.
Worker 3: We both — we checked it. The light was on.
Worker 1: You guys are sure you checked it?
Workers 2 and 3: We did, yeah, the light was on.
I obtained a picture off social media of Tyre Sampson Moments Before He Fell from A Free Fall Ride At Icon Park in Orlando. As you can see, the shoulder restraint does not look secure. pic.twitter.com/MpKhA6r0RE
— Negative⛔Ass⛔Shon (@NegativeAssShon) March 26, 2022
Teen was happy to get away for spring break
Sampson’s youth football coach, AJ Jones, told News6 that the teenager was a ‘humble giant’ and a straight-A student with dreams of making it to the NFL.
Told witness, Montrey Williams via Fox35: ‘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.
‘Everyone was just panicking and screaming.’
In a press conference on Friday, Orange County Sheriff John Mina said preliminary information suggests the incident appeared to be an accident.
However, Mina confirmed an investigation is still open to determine the cause of the mishap but reiterated that it ‘appears to be a tragic situation.’
‘It does appear to be just a tragic situation. So, all that is being looked at. Our role in this situation is to determine whether or not this is an accident or intentional act, and this does appear to be a terrible tragedy,’ the sheriff said.
Brandon Gregory, a football coach who appeared to be with Sampson on the tragic night, said the teen was ‘so happy’ to get away from St. Louis for Spring Break.
A woman who appears to be the girlfriend of Sampson’s father asked the public to pray for the family.
‘PLEASE PRAY FOR MY HUBBY HE LOST HES ONLY CHILD HES ONLY SON TYRE WAS A VERY RESPECTFUL GENTLE GAINT YOU WILL TRULY BE MISS SON I THANK GOD FOR 15 YRS YOU BEEN IN MY LIFE,’ the woman posted on Facebook.
Incident appeared to be an accident
“TELL MY GRAND SON LIL LONNIE WE MISS YALL DOWN HERE MY HEART IS TRULY BROKEN RIP Tyre Sampson YOU ARE LOVED BY MANY AND PLEASE PRAY FOR HES MOM AND ENTIRE FAMILY GONE TO SOON.”
Youth football coach Jones confirmed to News6 that the young teen was set to be the starting offensive lineman at East St Louis High School in the fall.
In a press conference on Friday, Orange County Sheriff John Mina said preliminary information suggests the incident appeared to be an accident.
However, Mina confirmed an investigation is still open to determine the cause of the mishap but reiterated that it ‘appears to be a tragic situation.’
‘It does appear to be just a tragic situation. So, all that is being looked at. Our role in this situation is to determine whether or not this is an accident or intentional act, and this does appear to be a terrible tragedy,’ the sheriff said.
Mina also spoke about the gruesome video on social media that shows the young man’s final moments.
Moments before the incident, an operator seemed to have some confusion about whether or not those on board were wearing seatbelts.
‘That’s something the Department of Agriculture will certainly look at and obviously we’ll look at that as we make a determination if this was accidental or not,’ Mina added.
ICON Park released a statement on Friday: ‘A tragedy occurred last night at the Orlando FreeFall and our hearts are heavy with sadness.
Full investigation underway
‘The owner of the attraction is fully cooperating with authorities and ICON Park is doing everything we can to assist.
‘The Orlando FreeFall will be closed pending a full investigation. Other businesses at ICON Park are scheduled to be open during their normal business hours.’
The Orlando Free Fall stands at 430 feet, and a maximum of 30 thrill-seekers can go on the ride.
It’s not clear how many riders were on the amusement park attraction during Thursday’s incident.
It’s the world’s tallest free-standing drop tower, according to the ICON Park website.
Thrill seekers are rotated around a tower as they rise up into the air.
They are then tilted at a 30-degree angle before plunging nearly 400 feet at speeds of around 75mph.
A spokesperson for the Slingshot Group of Companies, which owns the ride, confirmed the teenager was in a safety harness, adding that staff ‘operate the ride with all the safety precaution in mind.’
The Orlando Free Fall ride opened on December 28 last year.
ICON Park is also home to the Orlando Slingshot – the tallest slingshot ride in the world.
And, the theme park’s StarFlyer attraction claims to be the world’s tallest swing ride.
Jacob Kaminsky, 21, fell to his death while inspecting the ride in September 2020.
