Tyre Sampson's family awarded $310M in son's deadly fall from Orlando FreeFall ride

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Published  December 6, 2024 6:06am EST
FOX 35 Orlando
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Tyre Sampson's family awarded $310M in son's death

A Florida jury ruled that a German-based amusement ride maker owes $310 million to the parents of 14-year-old Tyre Sampson, who fell to his death in March 2022 after slipping out of the ride's restraints.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A Florida jury has awarded $310 million to the family of Tyre Sampson, the 14-year-old who died in 2022 after falling from the FreeFall ride at ICON Park in Orlando.

The one-day trial was held on Wednesday in Orlando. The amusement ride maker, Funtime, was found negligent in the boy's death and decided not to participate in the trial, the judge said.

The emotional day in court saw Sampson’s parents, Nekia Dodd and Yarnell Sampson, break down in tears as the verdict was announced. Meanwhile, representatives from Funtime, the Austrian company that manufactured the drop tower ride, were notably absent.

"Today we got our day in court — this $310 million verdict sends a message, a great message for accountability," said Ben Crump, the family’s attorney.

Funtime, headquartered in Austria, was conducting business under Florida law when the tragedy occurred. The company now faces significant financial and operational risks if it refuses to pay the judgment.

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"They may try to fight it and say that that our justice system can't impose a judgment over there," said Michael Haggard, another attorney for the Sampson family. "But they do business here. There's where the Department of Commerce… the State Department can get involved, saying if you don't recognize a judgment in the United States, well, then you don't do business here."

The family’s legal team plans to record the judgment and begin collection proceedings, with potential involvement from federal agencies if Funtime resists payment.

The company manufactures several popular rides in the U.S., including the Slingshot, StarFlyer, and Skyfall.

Tyre’s mother, Nekia Dodd, expressed disappointment over Funtime’s absence in court.

"I wanted them to face me, to apologize," Dodd said. "I got none of that — no apologies, no anything."

The case has drawn national attention, highlighting the need for stricter ride safety measures and greater corporate accountability.

'Why was the ride even created?'

Tyre Sampson was visiting Orlando from St. Louis, Missouri, for Spring Break. He and friends went to ICON Park, an amusement park with various attractions, rides, and restaurants. The last ride he went on was the Orlando FreeFall, touted as the "world's tallest" drop tower ride, which carries people some 400 feet high and then drops them towards the ground. 

Sampson, who was nearly 100 pounds over the ride’s weight limit, fell more than 100 feet to his death after slipping from his seat.

The parents of Sampson, Nekia Dodd and Yarnell Sampson, filed a wrongful death lawsuit. The lawsuit alleged negligence, claiming the companies failed to ensure the drop tower ride’s safety, did not adequately warn passengers about height and weight restrictions, and provided improper restraints.

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Tyre Sampson's father speaks about lawsuit trial

The father of the boy who fell off a theme park ride to his death in Orlando spoke exclusively with FOX 35 News on the night before a trial is set to begin.

A state investigation found that his seat had been manually adjusted to accommodate his size, but he slipped through the restraints as the ride descended. The state fined the ride’s owners $250,000, and the owners agreed to demolish the ride.

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The FreeFall ride was dismantled in March 2023, the same month a wrongful death settlement was reached with the ride’s owners.  

In response to Tyre’s death, Florida lawmakers passed the"Tyre Sampson Act" in 2023, tightening safety regulations for amusement rides and enhancing oversight of inspections and modifications.  Tyre’s parents are now pushing for the legislation to become federal law.

Representatives of the ride's manufacturer, Funtime, did not attend court proceedings and were not present when the verdict was read. Dodd had hoped she could address the company about her son's death.

"I really did want them there because my question would have been, ‘Why was the ride even created?’ That's my main question. ‘What happened to the seatbelts?’ I mean, I have a lot of questions," she said following the verdict.

How tall was the Orlando FreeFall?

Orlando FreeFall was a vertical drop tower that took riders some 400 feet into the air, briefly tilted them forward, and then dropped them several hundred feet toward the ground before magnets engaged to slow them down.

It opened in December 2021 alongside the Orlando Slingshot, two new rides from The Slingshot Group, an amusement company that owns multiple attractions and rides around Central Florida, that opened at ICON Park.

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