Months soon after the death of Missouri teen Tyre Sampson on Icon Park’s Orlando FreeFall ride, the operator has resolved to shut the journey down permanently. Orlando Slingshot Team announced that the ride would be taken down in a press launch on Oct 6.
“We are devastated by Tyre’s dying. We have listened to the wishes of Tyre’s household and the community, and have built the determination to get down the FreeFall,” reported Ritchie Armstrong, with Orlando Slingshot in a push release. “In addition, Orlando Slingshot will honor Tyre and his legacy in the classroom and on the football area by producing a scholarship in his name.”
Sampson fell from the journey this spring, whilst the drop tower was plunging riders towards the floor. His restraints failed to hold him in his seat and he was thrown from the trip, ultimately slipping to his dying in a gruesome incident that was captured on movie.
The death and the broadly shared video of the incident, led to shut downs, protests, investigations and lawsuits. Sampson was considerably greater than the proposed restrictions on peak and fat discovered in the manufacturer’s manual for the ride. Investigations into the trip found that operators manually adjusted the restraints to allow for the 6′ 5 teenager to trip.
Icon Park backed the conclusion to near the experience whilst preserving their carefully preserved length as a landlord to unbiased experience operators.
“Tyre’s death is a tragedy that we will never forget. As the landlord, ICON Park welcomes and appreciates Orlando Slingshot’s conclusion to get down the journey,” they stated.