‘He didn’t ask to die on that ride’: Tyre Sampson’s father talks after autopsy released

ORLANDO, Fla. — The father of the teenager who fell to his death on an Orlando thrill ride responded to the findings in his son’s autopsy report Monday.

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14-year-old Tyre Sampson died in March. Last week, the medical examiner released his autopsy report.

WATCH: Protest erupts outside ICON Park after teen’s memorial cleaned

Tyre’s father, Yarnell Sampson, and his attorney, Ben Crump, said the autopsy confirms everything they suspected about how and why he died.

Investigators said Sampson was well over the ride’s weight limit but someone had modified the safety sensors on two seats, allowing larger passengers to ride.

The investigation also showed the seat Tyre was in had a seven inch gap between the harness and the seat. The norm is approximately three inches.

“He didn’t ask to die on that ride,” Yarnell Sampson said during Monday’s press conference. “He didn’t sign up for that. Actually they signed him up for it, because they let him die.”

Video: ‘Did not follow their own restrictions’: Tyre Sampson’s family attorney talks after autopsy released

On what was both Father’s Day and Tyre’s birthday, Sampson said he went to Icon park to feel closer to his son through the candles, flowers, and pictures that had been left behind in his memory.

Instead, he describes what he saw as “business as usual.”

“They had a party right there,” Sampson said.” Having fun like nobody passed away on this ride.”

READ: Tyre Sampson’s mother speaks out after family files lawsuit against several companies

At his news conference Monday, Sampson and Crump said Icon Park claimed they would ship the overflow items from Tyre’s memorial to the family, clean up the area, and create a permanent memorial. Sampson says none of that has happened.

Sampson says a memorial needs to replace the ride that killed his on.

“That ride needs to come down because every time I look at it, it’s a permanent reminder that my son died 400 feet crashing to the earth to his death,” Sampson said.

The only sign left of what happened in March is chalk Sampson drew on the ride’s barrier Monday. He says he’s working to get 25,000 signatures on a petition to get the ride taken down.

Icon park representatives say the property itself is controlled by the Slingshot group, and Icon Park did not remove the memorial items.

Attorney for Orlando Slingshot Trevor Arnold released a statement in response to Monday’s press conference.

“We support the concepts outlined today in Florida Senator Geraldine Thompson’s ‘Tyre Sampson Bill,’ Arnold’s statement said. “The safety of our patrons always comes first.”

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The statement goes on to say the company doesn’t plan to open a new ride at ICON park, but they do hope to reopen the Slingshot ride, which was closed after the accident.

Arnold says they have been coordinating with the Tyre’s family to return the items from the memorial to them.

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