Operator error is suspected as the primary cause of the death of a 14-year-old boy who slipped from his seat at a Florida amusement park and fell to the pavement, authorities said Monday.
Nicole “Nikki’ Fried, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, announced the findings of a forensic engineer’s field investigation report into the March 24 incident that killed Tire Sampson of St. Louis, Missouri, in the Icon Park in Orlando.
Fried said the report showed the operator of the park’s FreeFall ride, the world’s tallest free-standing drop tower at a height of 430 feet, “made manual adjustments to the ride, which made it unsafe.”
The Quest Engineering & Failure Analysis, Inc. report said manual manipulations were made to the seat Sampson was sitting in to allow the harness opening to loosen, apparently to accommodate the 300-plus-pound teen. Fried said the harness restraint opening was “nearly double the normal restraint opening range.”
Fried said the adjustment made by the individual operator, who was not identified in the report, allowed FreeFall’s sensor lights to come on, “inadequately satisfying” the ride’s electronic safety mechanisms and allowing the ride to operate. “despite the fact that Mr. Sampson was not properly insured.” in his seat.”
“This report answers the question of what happened mechanically, as our investigation now enters the next phase of how and why it happened as we pursue potential sanctions along with any necessary rule and regulation changes to help prevent future tragedies,” Fried said. at a press conference.
The report showed that the average restraint opening for other seats on the trip was 3.33 inches, which is considered “normal.” Sampson’s seat was adjusted before the ride began to a 7.19-inch opening, according to the report.
“During the deceleration of the ride, Tire Sampson slipped through the gap between the seat and the harness” and fell to his death, according to the report.
The forensic engineer who wrote the report said his conclusions were based in part on an examination of the ride, video of the incident and a re-enactment involving two people, one 6-foot-3, the other 6-foot-5, and both weighing between 200 and 300 pounds.
“During our investigation, two individuals were placed in a seat with a 6-inch to 10-inch opening. Both individuals were able to slide through the restraint opening without assistance,” according to the report.
The forensic engineer’s investigation concluded that the ride “did not experience a mechanical or electrical failure.”
The report also found that “there are many other potential contributions to the cause of the crash,” but did not elaborate.
Fried did not respond to questions from reporters and said he declines to comment further until the investigation is complete.
He said the FreeFall attraction will remain closed indefinitely.
Fried said he spoke with Sampson’s parents before the news conference to brief them on the forensic engineer’s report.
State Rep. Geraldine Thompson, D-Orlando, said at the news conference that the manufacturer’s guidelines for FreeFall specifically say that the maximum rider weight is 250 pounds.
“Tyre Sampson was over 300 pounds. So, yes, this is outside the manufacturer’s guidelines,” Thompson said.
Thompson said she was “very disturbed” by the report. She said that she has been in contact with the Sampson family’s attorney, Ben Crump.
“As you can imagine, the family is in shock,” Thompson said. “You send your 14-year-old son off to spring break and he doesn’t come back alive. So they’re in shock.”
ICON Park said in a statement to ABC News on Monday that it was “deeply concerned” by the report’s findings.
“We are deeply concerned that preliminary results of the state investigation indicate that a sensor on the Orlando FreeFall attraction, which is owned and operated by SlingShot Group, had become misaligned after the sensor was originally secured in place,” says the release. . “ICON Park is committed to providing a safe and fun experience for families. We will continue to support the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services with their ongoing investigation.”
SlingShot Group, the operator of the ride, did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment on Monday.
The company said in a statement after Sampson’s death that it was “heartbroken” by the incident and was cooperating with authorities and attraction officials in the investigation.
Victoria Arancio of ABC News contributed to this report.
Reference-abcnews.go.com