Event will take place at site of Orlando FreeFall attraction

Florida committee to discuss Tyre Sampson Safety Act

ORLANDO, Fla. – An event Friday morning will be held to remember Tyre Sampson, the teenager who died last year when he fell off an attraction at Orlando’s ICON Park.

Sampson’s father, along with the family’s attorneys, will lead the event and balloon release at the park Friday at 11 a.m. at the site of the Orlando FreeFall attraction, which was dismantled this month.

The 400-foot-tall ride had been closed since Sampson’s fall on March 24, 2022.

An investigation into the tragedy shows Sampson’s seat wasn’t properly secure because of the teen’s size, and manual changes were made to the seat’s sensor that made the ride unsafe.

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The owners of the ride took a settlement with the state and agreed to pay a $250,000 fine.

Sampson’s family is also suing Funtime Thrill Rides, the manufacturer; Slingshot Group, the owner-operator of the ride, and ICON Park, which leased the space.

Lawmakers in Tallahassee are considering a bill to change the way attractions are regulated in Florida as a result of Sampson’s death.

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Christie joined the ClickOrlando team in November 2021.