The Teen Who Fell Off A Drop Tower Ride Was In A Locked Seat & Size Might've Been A Factor

The teenager who fell off a drop tower ride and died at ICON Park in Orlando last week may have been too big to ride in the first place, according to the newly-released accident report.

The victim, who has been named as 14-year-old Tyre Sampson, fell to his death last Thursday after an incident on the Free Fall drop tower.

Florida state officials have since released an accident report about Sampson's death, which raises questions about whether he should've been allowed to board the ride in the first place.

The ride operator report says that Sampson "came out of the seat" when the magnets on the ride engaged as it came down the tower. The report added that his harness "was still in a down and locked position when the ride stopped."

Three witnesses to the accident, all employees, claim that Sampson fell out of his seat when the ride was slowing down during descent.

Now the teen's large frame is being questioned as a factor in the fatal accident.

The teen's father, Yarnell Sampson, told CNN: "My son was 6'5", 340 [pounds]. So, he's a big guy."

Sampson was from St. Louis but was visiting Orlando for spring break with his football team.

Sampson's dad described him as "a very good young man. He was a big teddy bear, a gentle giant."

"He gave me reason to live. He earned a right to enjoy himself and, unfortunately, he lost his life on that ride."

The rides manual, which has now been published online, warned that the maximum passenger weight for the ride is 130 kilograms, or approximately 287 pounds.

Sampson was 50 pounds over that weight limit, according to his dad.

"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," says the manual.

Whether Sampson fit the seat's contours as the manual says is not clear.

The Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Nikki Fried, provided a statement confirming that they were "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 rides in Florida," said Fried.

A video that captured the accident showed Sampson falling out of his seat about two-thirds of the way down from the ride as it was slowing down during descent.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office has not announced any criminal charges at this point.

The Sampson family has hired attorneys to represent them, News4Jax reports.

A spokesperson for the ride operator said last week that they are cooperating with the investigation.

"We operate the ride with all the safety precautions in mind. Everything is in place. And this is why we're doing this investigation," John Stine of the SlingShot Group told local broadcaster WESH last week.

ICON Park also released an updated statement informing customers that they notified the owner of the Orlando FreeFall and Orlando SlingShot rides that both should be suspended immediately until they are deemed safe by authorities.

In an Instagram post, the amusement park also paid its tributes to Tyre Sampson's family and friends.

"We are in close coordination and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement and regulators regarding our tenant, the SlingShot Group," said the post.