ORLANDO, Fla. (Legal Newsline) - An Orlando amusement park is facing a lawsuit after a teenager wasn't allegedly safely secured to a drop tower ride and fell more than 100 feet to his death.
Representatives of the Estate of Tyre Sampson filed suit April 25 in Orange County Circuit Court, naming ICON Park, Orlando Eagle Drop Slingshot and other entities as defendants. Sampson was 14 when he was ejected from the Free Fall ride on March 24, the suit says.
Free Fall drops riders to the ground at more than 75 miles per hour, the suit says.
"While most free fall rides of this type have both a shoulder harness and a seatbelt, this subject Free Fall ride only had an over-the-shoulder harness to 'secure' riders," the lawsuit says. "Installing a seatbelt meeting applicable standards on the FreeFall ride would cost approximately $22 per seat. All of the seats combined would cost approximately $660."
Sampson was 6-foot-2, 380 pounds, the suit says. He played football and was on his school's honor roll, it adds.
"No weight or height restrictions were posted at the ticket counter and no ICON or Slingshot defendant employees... advised Tyre about any weight or height restrictions," the suit says.
"(W)hile the drop tower was falling down 430 feet, Tyre was ejected out of his seat and fell at least a hundred feet to his death."
The accident drew considerable media attention. The lawsuit seeks compensation for the "long and prosperous life" Sampson would have had.
Lawyers at The Haggard Law Firm, Ben Crump Law and Hillard Martinez Gonzales are representing the plaintiffs.
A news release from the park on April 18 stated: "We are deeply troubled that the preliminary findings of the State’s investigation, released today, 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."