By ABBY GROFF
Staff Writer
March 24, 2022, was a tragic day for the friends and family of 14-year-old Tyre Sampson. The free-fall ride at Orlando, Florida’s ICON Park was closed for investigation following a deadly accident at the park. Reports have claimed that the boy was turned down from every ride he had tried to get on, except for the free-falling attraction. Riders are strapped in only by a shoulder harness and are lifted nearly 400 feet in the air, then dropped at speeds around 75 miles per hour. According to Insider, the attraction’s weight limit is 287 pounds; however, Sampson weighed 340 pounds and was 6’5”. The accident was truly disastrous and unfortunately fatal for an innocent boy who was just looking to go out and have fun with friends. Many are pointing to the ride operators who were on site as those to blame for the tragedy. Ride operators are responsible for overseeing the safety of all park goers, but these ones failed to prevent the loss of life. If you’ve attended a theme park and been on any ride, you would notice that these employees are required to take extreme measures to ensure your safety as they double, or even triple, check any harnesses, seatbelts, etc. The family of Tyre Sampson is calling for the drop tower to be shut down for good, as well as any other Slingshot rides manufactured by the company. As of today, the community has set up a memorial honoring Sampson’s life in front of the now-closed attraction. Many citizens are right behind the family and believe it isn’t knowing the ride may continue to operate. On the other hand, others see not the ride as the problem, but the lack of caution on the employees’ parts.