Negligence or Size? Parents of Teen in Orlando Amusement Ride Death Hires Lawyers

Orlando Amusement Ride Death Tyre Sampson Orlando free fall Ben Crump Billy Hilliard Yarnell Sampson ICON Park Nekia Dodd Orange County Sheriff's Office Missouri Orlando John Stine Slingshot Group of Companies

By Lili Scott , Parent Herald Mar 28, 05:30 am

Photo: (Photo : ROB ENGELAAR/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

The lawyers hired by the parents of Tyre Sampson, the teenager who figured in the Orlando amusement ride death, will try to determine if negligence or the size of the 14-year-old were factors to the tragedy.

Ben Crump and Billy Hilliard were retained separately by the teenager's parents, who are still in shock over the incident. Crump was hired by Yarnell Sampson, the boy's father after witnesses told him that Tyre openly expressed that his seat would not likely hold up before getting on the Orlando Free Fall ride at the ICON Park.

Tyre, who was 6 feet and 5 inches tall and weighed more than 300 pounds, apparently remarked to his friends to tell his parents that he loves them "if I don't make it down," Fox 25 Orlando reported. Yarnell wanted to know why his son was allowed to get on the ride when he was barred from the others due to their size and weight limitations.

No Prior Safety Issues for Orlando Free Fall

Hilliard, who was hired by Nekia Dodd, Tyre's mother, believes there was a "lack of supervision and lack of training" from the amusement park staff.

Witnesses who had videos of the ride also allegedly expressed that the over-the-shoulder harness didn't fit well. The 14-year-old's stepmother, on the other hand, said that she had seen videos of someone shouting that Tyre didn't seem to be properly restrained on his seat, per the Daily Mail.

While the details are still vague, the Orange County Sheriff's Office is still trying to determine the exact cause of the Orlando amusement ride death. The operators said that it's the standard operating procedure for them to conduct equipment safety checks before the free-fall begins, but Tyre appeared to have slipped out of his seat during a 75-mph descent. The 14-year-old suffered broken bones and had no pulse when the paramedics took him to the hospital at 11 p.m.

"Best Thing God Gave Me"

Meanwhile, Back home in Missouri, Tyre's family and friends remain heartbroken for a young man who was supposed to have a bright future as a football star. Yarnell was very proud of Tyre, who did not just do well in sports but was also a straight-A student.

The dad said that his son was the best thing God had given him, and he was his reason to live. He also said he would have to live with this nightmare for the rest of his life.

John Stine of the Slingshot Group of Companies, the ride's operator, said that the Orlando Free Fall had no other safety issues before this incident and passed the standard inspection in December 2021. It was the newest attraction to ICON Park, located not far from Florida's Disney World.

Stine also extended his shock and grief towards the family and stated that they would cooperate with the police and local agencies during the investigations, per USA Today.