Missouri teenager dies after falling from an Orlando, Florida, amusement park ride
A promising 14-year-old Missouri football player died on Thursday after falling from a ride at an amusement park in Orlando.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is investigating Tyre Sampson’s death at ICON Amusement Park, according to the Daily Beast. Meanwhile, his father Yarnell Sampson, of Venice, has retained Ben Crump, a civil rights attorney, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Nekia Dodd, Tyre’s mother, will be represented by Bob Hilliard, a personal injury lawyer who is also representing the victims in last year’s deadly Travis Scott concert.
Yarnell Sampson told KMOV 4 that his son was a “gentle giant.” At 14 years old, Sampson was 6 feet, 5 inches tall and 325 pounds. The eighth grader was considering East St. Louis High School and Cardinal Ritter College Prep in St. Louis for high school.
Tyre was on a spring-break trip with STL Bad Boyz Football Program.
Tyre was on the Free Fall ride, which opened in December. According to the ICON website, it takes 30 passengers more than 400 feet up before dropping them at around 75 mph.
A man who called 911 told the dispatcher that it appeared Samspon slipped out of his seat as the ride started to break as it approached the bottom, according to The Associated Press.
Sampson succumbed to his injuries at a hospital.
