Amusement parks are fun, aren’t they? They are fun until they are not. There have been several cases in the media about these parks turning into a horror movie. Roller-coasters flailing about, screws getting loose, and seats falling akimbo. While the adrenaline does spark on the dangerous rides, the chance of losing one’s life is pretty high as well. Although most parks have routine safety checks, there is always a chance something can go wrong. And if you believe in fate- you may start cursing it due to your impending demise.
The Tragedy- Teen Falls To Death
This is the story of a 14-year-old boy who fell from a ride at an amusement park in Florida just last week. While the entire incident seemed like an accident, new details have surfaced[1]. Tyre Sampson, a teen from Missouri, was visiting the ICON Park situated in Orlando when tragedy struck. He had boarded the Orlando FreeFall ride- which is a 430-foot drop tower- at around 11 o’clock.
According to experts, the magnets had engaged upon the descent of the tower, but something was still amiss. Unfortunately, this resulted in Sampson coming out of his seat. This was then put under investigation by the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Witnesses report that the harness that Sampson was attached to, was still in a locked position. But that didn’t prevent the teen from succumbing to multiple injuries and trauma. Nikki Fried, the Commissioner, then held a press conference where they stated, “Words cannot express the sorrow felt by the tragic loss of such a young man, and my thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this unimaginably difficult time.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is actively investigating the incident, along with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. We hope the subsequent findings will be able to inform us all as to how this tragedy occurred and will precipitate any changes necessary to better protect patrons of amusement park rides in Florida.
The family of the deceased has raised statements that the teen was too large for the amusement park ride. These concerns surfaced amidst additional details about the incident cropping up during the investigation.
Are Amusement Parks Truly Safe?
Yarnell Sampson, the father of the deceased, informed CNN[2] that his son weighed 340 lbs. Now, according to the safety manual provided with the ride- the maximum weight allowed was 287 lbs. The manual stated, “Be careful when seeing if large guests fit into the seats. Check that they fit within the contours of the seat and the bracket fits properly. If this is not so- do not let this person ride.”
What is truly disconcerting about this incident is that Tyre’s father got to know of his death from social media.
“It felt like somebody hit me so hard in my stomach. And it’s just sad, a young man’s bright future was taken away from him over a ride, an amusement park.”
The amusement park, on their part, has stated that they would be cooperating with the officials. “As the landlord of the 20-acre entertainment destination in the center of the Orlando Entertainment District, ICON Park’s mission is to provide safe, family entertainment.”
The amusement park further wrote, “We continue to grieve the passing of Tyre Sampson and our thoughts are with his family and friends. This was the saddest day in the history of ICON Park and we’re working hard to make sure this never happens again.”
The office of the Sheriff of Orange County also swore to look into a bunch of factors. Yet, they had to agree that it looked like a tragedy based on preliminary evidence. There was no hint of foul play in it. The press conference saw the authorities reiterate this statement. The Police Department of Orange County was clear: no one filed any “criminal charges”.
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Sources
- “14-Year-Old Boy’s Harness Was Still Locked After Fatal Fall from Amusement Park Ride: Accident Report.” People. Maria Pasquini. March 29, 2022.
- “Teen who fell to his death at Florida amusement park was turned away from two other rides, his cousin says.” CNN. Jamiel Lynch, Leyla Santiago and Sara Weisfeldt. March 30, 2022.