Operator error suspected in 14-year-old’s fatal fall from amusement park ride

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Last month, Tyre Sampson fell to his death when he slipped out of his seat on an Orlando, Fla., drop tower amusement park ride.

Officials now say “misadjustments” may have been a contributing factor in Sampson’s fatal plunge from the Free Fall attraction at ICON Park on March 24.

Sampson, 14, had been visiting the park with a friend’s family.

On Monday, Nikki Fried, commissioner of the state’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, said engineers determined the park’s ride operator “made manual adjustments to the ride resulting in it being unsafe.”

“Manual adjustments had been made to the sensor for the seat in question that allowed the harness-to-restraint opening to be almost double that of the normal restraint-opening range,” Fried said at a news conference.

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“These misadjustments 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.

Fried told press conference attendees the Free Fall ride would be closed permanently.

It is unknown if the misadjustment was the only factor in Sampson’s death.

A field report from external company Quest Engineering and Failure Analysis Inc. said Sampson slipped through a gap between the seat and an over-the-shoulder harness during ride operation. The report showed no evidence of mechanical error.

ICON Park released a statement, saying the company was disturbed by the findings of operator misadjustment.

“We are deeply troubled that the preliminary findings of the State’s investigation indicate a sensor on the Orlando FreeFall attraction, which is owned and operated by the SlingShot Group, had been mis-adjusted after the sensor was originally secured in place,” the statement reads.

“ICON Park is committed to providing a safe, fun experience for families. We will continue to support the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services with their ongoing investigation.”

When the Free Fall attraction opened in December 2021, the over 131-metre-tall ride was advertised as the highest in the world.

Investigation into the Free Fall attraction and cause of Sampson’s death is ongoing.