The death of Tyre Sampson has officially been ruled an accident by the Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The 14-year-old was visiting Orlando from Missouri this March when he came free from his restraints on Icon Park’s drop tower ride Orlando Freefall, falling more than 70 feet to the ground. He later died at an area hospital. A horrific video of the incident spread quickly on social media, reaching some of Sampson’s immediate family before the news of his death.
The autopsy found that Sampson suffered a range of injuries in the fall include fractured jaw, breaks to an arm and a leg and fractures of several ribs. The ultimate cause of his death was blunt force trauma from the fall.
The report confirmed that Sampson was well above the suggested weight limit for the ride at the time of his death. The manufacturer’s manual for the ride suggests an upper limit of around 290 pounds. The football-playing teen topped six feet at just 14 and was over 380 pounds.
The ride has been closed since the incident while the park and ride operator cooperate with an ongoing investigation. Sampson’s family have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the park.