The Teen Who Died In A Drop Tower Fall At ICON Park May Have Been Over The Max Weight Limit
He was over 300 pounds.
ICON park entrance. Right: The Orlando Slingshot and The Orlando Free Fall at ICON Park.
Tyre Sampson, the teen who fell to his death at ICON Park in Florida, was allegedly more than 50 pounds over the maximum allowable weight limit for the drop tower involved in the fall.*
The teen was still allowed onto the Orlando Free Fall ride and he ultimately fell off and died.
Sampson's dad told CNN the 14-year-old was a "big guy" at 6'5", 340 pounds. That's heavier than the maximum recommended passenger weight for the Orlando Free Fall, according to a manual released online, which puts it at 130 kilograms — about 270 pounds.
An accident report released by Florida state officials suggests that Sampson may have been heavier than the recommended maximum weight for a passenger on the ride.
Employee witnesses claim that Sampson "came out of the seat" when it was slowing down and that the harness of his seat was still down and locked after the accident.
The park and the company that operates the ride have both said they are cooperating with a police investigation into Sampson's death.
No charges have been announced at this point.
*Editor's note: An earlier version of this story and headline cited an interview with someone claiming to be Tyree Sampson's cousin. The woman presented herself as "Shay Johnson" and spoke to several media outlets including CNN, but Sampson's family has since said they do not know the woman. Her statements have been removed.