The dismantling of an Orlando-area theme park attraction has begun, following a tragic accident in 2022.
On Wednesday, a crane began the process of breaking down the massive Orlando FreeFall drop tower attraction structure at ICON Park in Orlando, located approximately 15 minutes from the Walt Disney World Resort. The decision to remove the structure was made following the tragic death of 14-year-old Tyre Sampson, who visited ICON Park in March 2022 with friends and slipped from the restraint on the ride, falling hundreds of feet to the ground below.
In October, the ride owners agreed to dismantle the 40-story structure, following the death of the young teen, after a private, third-party investigation and a thorough investigation by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), which revealed that the restraint on Sampson’s seat aboard the Orlando FreeFall ride had been manually adjusted, resulting in his fall from hundreds of feet above the ground.
“There is nothing more important to ICON Park than the safety of our guests and employees,” ICON Park said in a statement on Wednesday. “We agree with the goal to ensure extra diligence and oversight with mid- to small-attraction operators for ride training, testing, and process documentation, which we also focus on in our own rigorous ride safety protocols. While the FreeFall ride is not owned and was not controlled or operated by ICON Park, because it is a tenant on the property, we agree with the owner’s decision to dismantle the ride, and our hearts are with the family as they witness this important milestone.”
The owner and operator of the ride, Slingshot Group, settled with the State of Florida, agreeing to pay a $250,000 fine and to refrain from ever operating the Orlando FreeFall ride again.
In a separate statement to News 6 Orlando last week, ICON Park confirmed that the dismantling of the ride had already begun, saying, “We have been supportive of the Slingshot Group’s decision to dismantle the FreeFall tower and are pleased that the process has begun. The activity will be contained on the southwest corner of the property, and ICON Park’s attractions, restaurants, and dining venues will remain open and operating as normal for guests.”
Crews are on site at ICON Park where the FreeFall ride is being taken down one year after 14-yr-old Tyre Sampson fell to his death. His mother is expected to visit for the first time this afternoon. https://t.co/GzydobIWlm pic.twitter.com/ZwzSybLJ0f
— Catherine Silver (@CatSilverTV) March 15, 2023
“It’ll be a year coming up March 24,” Sampson’s father, Yarnell Sampson, said. “It’s been my worst nightmare. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.”
The official autopsy report revealed that Sampson exceeded the weight limit on the attraction by nearly 100 pounds. The manual produced by the ride’s manufacturer, Funtime Thrill Rides, listed the maximum weight allowance as 286 pounds (130 kilograms). Sampson’s family filed suit against Funtime Thrill Rides, as well as Slingshot Group–the owner-operator of the ride in Florida–and ICON Park, the theme park entity that leased the space for the attraction, which had been open less than three months when the accident occurred.
“I wish this never happened,” Yarnell Sampson said. “But since we’re here, let’s make sure this never happens again to someone else’s child or even an adult.”
The lawsuit alleges the ride’s operators should have known that riders could be “subject to unreasonably dangerous and foreseeable risks, and that serious injury and death of the occupants in the ride could result.”