The company who built the Orlando FreeFall drop tower ride has been ordered to pay $310 million to the family of the 14-year-old who fell from the attraction in 2022.
Tyre Sampson was visiting Orlando from Missouri in March 2022. Despite being well over the 287-pound weight limit for the 430-foot-tall attraction Sampson was allowed to ride, with a state inspection later finding that safety sensors had been adjusted to allow for an unsafe gap between the seat and the bottom of the safety harness.
That extra space, which expanded once the ride was in operation, allowed Sampson to slip through the harness and fall to his death.
The Sampson family had earlier settled suits with the ride’s owner, formerly known as the Slingshot Group, and Icon Park, which leased the land on which the tower stood but did not own or operate the attraction.
The remaining plaintiffs were the ride’s manufacturers, the Austria-based Funtime Handels. Orlando TV station WESH said Funtime Handels initially defended the case and sent engineers to inspect the ride – but after the inspection, stopped responding and didn’t send a representative to court.
That no-show made for a quick trial, ending the same day that the jury had been selected. KSDK reported that the jury only took an hour to reach a verdict, having earlier seen a video of Sampson’s death in court. The $310 million will be evenly split between Tyre’s parents.
In a statement to Theme Park Tribune, Sampson family attorneys Ben Crump and Natalie Jackson said: “This verdict is a step forward in holding corporations accountable for the safety of their products. The jury’s decision confirms what we have long argued: Tyre’s death was the result of blatant negligence and a failure to prioritize safety over profits. The ride’s manufacturers neglected their duty to protect passengers, and today’s outcome ensures they face the consequences of those decisions.
The statement continued: “We hope this case serves as a wake-up call for the entire industry to implement stricter safety measures and oversight to prevent such tragedies from happening again. Tyre’s legacy will be a safer future for riders everywhere.”
After Sampson’s death, the Orlando FreeFall tower never operated again. It was later demolished, with the last pieces being removed in March 2023.
The death did lead to lasting changes in Florida state law over amusement park ride safety standards with the Tyre Sampson Act. Signed into law in May 2023, the law requires rides over 100 feet tall to have both seat belts and harnesses and requires documentation to justify changes to attractions, including modifications to sensors or restraints.
However, the law does not apply to Florida’s major theme parks such as Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando, Legoland Florida and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay – similar to existing Florida law that allows larger parks to conduct their own safety inspections.