Tyre Sampson: “Kind-hearted” Aspiring American football player fell 430ft to his death
Thursday 24th March at around 11pm a 911 call revealed an aspiring American football player Tyre Sampson at the age of 14 years old from St. Louis, Missouri fell to his death from a ride at a theme park. The “honour roll student” fell 430ft (131m) from a recently opened Orlando’s Icon Park in Florida. The 911 caller graphically described Tyre Sampson’s injuries, including that he had “blood on his feet” and was “unresponsive”.
Sampson had been worried prior to the start of the ride about the harness and because of his “6-foot-5” and “340 pound” stature, he was told he was too large to ride the other rides however the Free Fall ride operators waved him aboard.
Tyre’s father Yarnell told WOLF-TV, “When the ride took off, that’s when he was feeling uncomfortable.” The grieving father said that Tyre began to panic next to his two best friends seated next to him on the ride. Tyre Sampson said to his friends, “I don’t know man, If I don’t make it down, safely, can you please tell my momma and daddy that I love them.”
Tyre and the rest of the group were told moments before the ride that there weren’t any seatbelts. The only thing stopping them from falling out their seats were plastic pull-down harnesses which are supposed to buckle.
The ride flew hundreds of feet up into the air and halted for 10 seconds before dropping. The park employees initially thought the body was a piece of the ride that had broken off until they saw the boy lying on the ground.
Deaths on amusement park rides are extremely rare according to the IAAPA (The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions). The BBC quote an average of four deaths per year on amusement park rides from 1994 to 2004. However, for Tyre Sampson he was failed by the safety operators at Icon Park. What was once an exciting trip with the teens football program became a great tragedy. After the incident John Stine, sales director with the Slingshot Group whom owns the ride has closed the Free Fall ride indefinitely at the Icon Park.