Florida amusement park horror: Family of teenager who fell from ride retains civil rights lawyer Ben Crump

Florida amusement park visitors in shock after seeing teenager fall off ride: ‘Did you check him?’

Florida amusement park visitors were in shock after seeing a teenage boy die after falling off of one of the park’s rides.

The family of the 14-year-old who fell off an Orlando, Florida amusement park ride and passed away has retained civil rights injury lawyer Ben Crump.

Tyre Sampson, 14, died on Thursday night after falling from the FreeFall ride at ICON Park. Video footage of the incident show the FreeFall ride moments before the 14-year-old fell to his death. The Sampson family has retained civil rights lawyer Ben Crump as well as personal injury attorney Bob Hilliard, according to a statement from Crump’s law firm.

Attorney Ben Crump departs after speaking at a press conference outside of the Diana E. Murphy U.S. Courthouse on July 15, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 
(Brandon Bell)

“This family is shocked and heartbroken at the loss of their son,” Crump said in a statement, according to the report. “This young man was the kind of son every parent hopes for — an honor roll student, an aspiring athlete and a kind-hearted person who cared about others. … A fun theme park visit with his football team should not have ended in tragedy.”

Crump is known for his involvement in several high-profile cases, including George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, and more.

Tourists enjoy the rides and amenities at ICON Park in Orlando on Thursday, March 24, 2022. 
(Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

Sampson was taken to a hospital, where he later died from his injuries. Authorities reportedly said that the 911 call was placed just before 11:15 p.m. E.T.

After Sampson fell off the FreeFall ride, one person can be heard asking “Did you check him?,” according to Fox 35 Orlando.

“Yeah. The light was on,” one person said in video obtained by Fox 35 Orlando.

“You guys are sure you checked him?,” one person said.

“Yeah. The light was on. The light was on,” another responded.

One witness who was at the amusement park at the time told Fox 35 that he thought he saw a piece of the ride fall.

“We got a little closer and it was a person laying on the ground,” Montrey Williams said. “Everyone was just panicking and screaming.”

The Wheel at ICON Park
(Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

Sampson was visiting from Missouri when he went to the ICON Park. Sampson was 6 feet, 5 inches tall and weighed 330 pounds, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The FreeFall ride will remain closed for the duration of the investigation, according to the report.

It is the world’s tallest freestanding drop tower ride standing at 430-feet-tall, according to the attraction. 

ICON Park tweeted a statement, in which it says it is cooperating with law enforcement and is grieving the tragedy.

In a statement, the SlingShot Group, which operates the Orlando FreeFall, said that it will cooperate with the investigation and expressed its deepest sympathy to family and friends of Sampson.

“We are heartbroken with the incident that took the life of one of our guests. We extend our condolences and deepest sympathy to his family and friends. We are working with the Sheriff’s Office and ride officials on a full investigation. The Orlando FreeFall will be closed until further notice,” the statement reads.

Fox News’ Julia Musto contributed to this report

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