Tyre Sampson Death: State Seeks $250K Fine Against Orlando Ride Owner

TALLAHASSEE, FL — Eight months after 14-year-old Tyre Sampson fell to his death while riding the Orlando FreeFall, Florida officials filed an administrative complaint against the ride's owner Tuesday, accusing the company of violating multiple state laws.

Through the complaint, state officials want Orlando Eagle Drop Slingshot LLC to pay a $250,000 fine, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried announced at a news conference. State officials are also seeking permanent revocation of the ride’s operating permit in the state of Florida.

“With the magnitude of this incident, it was important to me that the department took the necessary time to conduct a thorough investigation and get this right," Fried said.

Sampson, a Missouri middle school student and football player, died on March 24 when he was thrown from the FreeFall ride. The teen fell at least 100 feet, according to previous reports.

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Sampson weighed 383 pounds at the time of his death, his autopsy said, while the maximum passenger weight allowed on the FreeFall ride was just over 286 pounds, according to its manual.

Sampson was on spring break in Orlando when he died of blunt force trauma, according to the autopsy. He suffered fractures to his face, ribs, pelvis, right arm, and left leg, and he also experienced multiple hemorrhages, lacerations to his liver and spleen, and perforation of the stomach.

Sampson’s parents have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the park, ride operator, and manufacturer, claiming it was negligence that caused their son to fall at least 100 feet from the drop-tower ride, which reaches speeds of 75 mph.

According to Fried, a March inspection of the ride found a proximity sensor in Tyre’s seat had been manually repositioned, allowing a larger restraint opening than the ride’s other seats.

"Because the ride's harness proximity sensor had been improperly adjusted, the ride was allowed to commence even though the (restraint) was unsafe and led directly to his fall," Fried said.

During Tuesday's news conference, Florida state Sen. Geraldine Thompson said she plans to propose legislation to improve ride safety.

"When the millions of people who visit Florida come to this state, we want them to know that there is oversight, that there is accountability, that there are inspections, that there are requirements for training," Thompson said.

In October, Orlando Eagle Drop Slingshot said it planned to tear down the ride, a decision that resulted directly from Sampson's death.

The company provided no timeline for when the FreeFall will be taken down.