The family of 14-year-old Tyre Sampson, who suffered a tragic death after being ejected from a theme park ride, has been awarded $310 million (£243 million) in damages by a jury. The heartbreaking incident occurred when Tyre fell from the Orlando Free Fall ride at ICON Park in Florida in March 2022, leading to intense public scrutiny over the ride’s safety standards and operator negligence.
Tyre, a young football prospect from St. Louis, Missouri, had been visiting Florida during his spring break when the devastating accident unfolded. Standing tall at 6 feet 2 inches and weighing approximately 27 stone (172 kg), Tyre exceeded the ride’s safety weight limit by roughly seven stone, or about 98 pounds. His size prevented the shoulder harness from locking securely around his body, a critical safety failure that ultimately led to the tragic outcome.
The Orlando Free Fall ride, a towering attraction reaching 430 feet (131 meters), was designed to drop 30 passengers from a great height while relying solely on a shoulder restraint system to secure its riders. Notably, the ride lacked a secondary seat belt, a basic safety feature commonly found on similar drop attractions. This absence of additional safety measures left Tyre vulnerable during the ride’s sudden braking, which tragically resulted in his ejection from the seat, falling roughly 100 feet (30 meters) to his death.
Despite the clear violation of weight limitations, ride operators failed to warn Tyre or enforce proper safety protocols before allowing him onto the ride. The absence of both proper safeguards and weight enforcement policies was a key factor cited in the wrongful death lawsuit filed by his grieving parents, Nekia Dodd and Yarnell Sampson. The lawsuit named both ICON Park, the operator of the ride, and Funtime, the Austrian manufacturer responsible for its design and safety standards.
The jury’s verdict followed a brief but impactful civil trial, lasting only a single day. The jury determined that Funtime had been grossly negligent in failing to provide adequate safety measures for a ride of such height and intensity. Notably, the company did not appear in court to defend itself against the allegations, further underscoring the lack of accountability. As a result, Funtime was ordered to pay $155 million (£121.5 million) in damages to each of Tyre’s parents, totaling the $310 million award.
While ICON Park had previously reached a confidential settlement with the Sampson family before the trial, the jury’s decision solidified the severe safety oversights on the part of Funtime and highlighted the critical importance of rigorous safety measures in amusement park attractions.
Prominent civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Natalie Jackson, representing the Sampson family, expressed that the ruling validated their claims that Tyre’s death was not an accident but a consequence of dangerous negligence. Crump stated that the verdict was a firm acknowledgment of the company’s failure to prioritize human life over profits, emphasizing that Tyre’s death could have been entirely preventable had proper safety precautions been in place.
The legal victory, however, faces an additional hurdle. Since Funtime is an Austrian-based company, the enforcement of the U.S. court ruling will require the family to seek enforcement in Austrian courts, adding a complex international layer to the already emotional legal battle.
The Orlando Free Fall ride has been permanently shut down in the wake of Tyre’s tragic death. The massive structure, once promoted as the world’s tallest free-standing drop tower, is currently being dismantled, signaling the end of an attraction that left a permanent mark on the theme park industry.
For Tyre’s mother, Nekia Dodd, the court’s decision is only a small solace amid profound grief. She recalled the final moments with her son, sharing the painful memory of their last hug before his spring break trip to Florida. Dodd continues to emphasize the importance of remembering Tyre not just as a tragic figure but as a bright young athlete whose life was cut short due to preventable safety lapses.
The Sampson family’s case has drawn significant attention to the broader issue of safety standards across amusement parks, emphasizing the devastating consequences of corporate negligence. The hope is that Tyre’s story will inspire stricter safety protocols in theme parks worldwide, preventing future tragedies and ensuring that profit never overshadows passenger protection.