State leaders call on governor to take on thrill ride bill to protect riders

ORLANDO, Fla. — State leaders are calling on the governor to take action on a bill that would protect people on thrill rides like “Orlando Free Fall” at Icon Park.

Earlier this year, 14-year-old Tyre Sampson slipped from his harness on the “Orlando Free Fall” and died.

State leaders say Sampson’s death could have been prevented.

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Investigators found two of the ride’s chairs were intentionally changed to fit bigger riders.

The free fall ride remains closed nearly four months after Sampson fell to his death.

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Since then, the state has been investigating how this tragedy happened and what can be done to prevent it from ever happening again.

On Wednesday, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried introduced a framework for legislation to make thrill rides safer.

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The bill is still in its draft phase but Fried told Channel 9 that she wanted people to know this is still a priority for her as she’s running for re-election.

Part of the provisions would require better training for employees, surprise visits from inspectors to follow the rules, national testing of rides and would require reporting calls for maintenance.

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The state representative who covers this area previously hinted at an extra layer of safety, such as seat belts.

“It may be that the investigation will point out that not only the harness but an additional safeguard, which would have been a seatbelt, could have saved Tyre’s life,” said State Representative Geraldine Thompson (D-Orange County).

Investigators found the teen’s seat was manually adjusted, creating a seven-inch gap, to allow for larger riders.

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They say the adjustment led to his death.

The autopsy released in June also revealed Sampson was nearly 100 pounds over the ride’s weight limit.

The bill would be named after Tyre Sampson.

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Channel 9 has reached out to the governor’s office, Icon Park and Sampson’s family for comment but have not heard back yet.

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