ORLANDO – The Orlando theme park ride St. Louis teen Tyre Sampson fell to his death from will be torn down. Orlando Slingshot announced Thursday that the 430-foot-tall FreeFall ride will be taken down. It is unknown at this time when that process will begin.
An autopsy showed 14-year-old Sampson died of blunt-force trauma. He fell 70 feet from the ride on March 24. The medical examiner in Orlando, Florida ruled the death was accidental. Sampson’s family filed a wrongful death suit against the theme park and the ride manufacturer.
“We are devastated by Tyre’s death. We have listened to the wishes of Tyre’s family and the community, and have made the decision to take down the FreeFall,” Ritchie Armstrong with Orlando Slingshot said. “In addition, Orlando Slingshot will honor Tyre and his legacy in the classroom and on the football field by creating a scholarship in his name.”
“Tyre’s death is a tragedy that we will never forget. As the landlord, ICON Park welcomes and appreciates Orlando Slingshot’s decision to take down the ride,” said ICON Park.
The scholarship details are still in progress.
“A $22 seatbelt would have saved my son’s life,” Yarnell Sampson, Tyre’s father said at a news conference in June.