Technician says Florida thrill ride operator ignored his safety concerns before teen’s fatal fall
CNN
A maintenance technician alleged on Wednesday that he raised safety issues with the operators of a central Florida amusement ride before a 14-year-old boy fell to his death, but his concerns were never addressed.
A maintenance technician alleged on Wednesday that he raised safety issues with the operators of a central Florida amusement ride before a 14-year-old boy fell to his death, but his concerns were never addressed. Austin Campbell-Alexander said in the state whistleblower lawsuit that the Orlando Free Fall ride at Icon Park had sensors which were modified to accommodate people whose height or weight were outside safety limits. He also alleged that overheated cylinders prevented seats from securing properly and that the drop ride’s metal structure had cracks in its joints. Campbell-Alexander also said he and his colleagues weren’t given any training on ride maintenance or patron safety. “He brought these concerns to his manager and the owner of the ride, and basically they didn’t do what they should have done,” Greg Schmitz, one of his attorneys, said in a phone interview. A spokeswoman for the ride operators didn’t immediately respond to an emailed inquiry. Tyre Sampson fell 70 feet (21 meters) to his death on March 24, 2022. A football standout who stood 6 foot, 2 inches tall (1.9 meters) and weighed 380 pounds (172 kilograms), he was visiting Orlando on spring break from the St. Louis area. Sampson went with friends to the amusement park on International Drive in the heart of the region’s tourism district, and they rode the Orlando Free Fall, which placed 30 riders in seats attached to a tower. Each passenger was secured with a shoulder harness before the ride lifted them up the tower and then dropped them 430 feet (131 meters).
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