Teen who died in fall from thrill ride in Orlando may have been too heavy for the ride, operations manual shows

The teenager who died in a fall from an Orlando thrill ride Thursday night may have been too heavy for the ride, a 2021 manual from the manufacturer appears to indicate.

Tyre Sampson, 14, who was 6 feet, 5 inches tall and over 300 pounds, plummeted from his seat on the Orlando Free Fall ride, which is located at Icon Park along a busy street in the heart of Orlando's tourist district.

Sampson was a middle school football player in the St. Louis area who dreamed of playing pro ball. His youth football coach, AJ Jones, told WKMG-TV that Sampson weighed 320 pounds at the time of his death.