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Teen died of blunt force trauma in fall from Orlando ride, autopsy says

Tyre Sampson, 14, weighed 383 pounds at time
Orlando Drop Tower at ICON Park, March 28
Posted at 8:30 PM, Jun 13, 2022
and last updated 2022-06-14 10:03:53-04

ORLANDO, Fla. — An autopsy report said a Missouri teenager died of blunt force trauma after falling from a 430-foot amusement park ride in Orlando earlier this year.

The report, released Monday by the Orange County medical examiner, also ruled that Tyre Sampson's death was an accident.

Sampson slipped out of his seat about halfway down the Orlando FreeFall ride at ICON Park in March and fell to his death.

The autopsy also showed that Sampson, 14, weighed 383 pounds at the time of his death.

Crime scene tape surrounds area where 14-year-old boy fell to his death at ICON Park
Crime scene tape surrounds the ride where a 14-year-old boy fell to his death March 24, 2022, at ICON Park in Orlando, Fla.

An attorney told WOFL, the Fox affiliate in the Orlando area, that Sampson weighed almost 100 pounds more than the maximum weight limit for the ride.

Sampson was in Florida vacationing with a friend's family at the time of his March 24 death.

An initial report by outside engineers hired by the Florida Department of Agriculture said sensors on the ride had been adjusted manually to double the size of the opening for restraints on two seats, resulting in Sampson not being properly secured.

Sampson's parents have sued the ride's owner, manufacturer and landlord, saying they were negligent.