Parents of Tyre Samspon have hired two separate attorneys to ascertain if negligence about the victim's size, or other factors, played a role in his death. Sampson died tragically after falling off from a 430-foot Orlando Free Fall ride at the ICON Park on Thursday night.
As reported earlier, Yarnell Sampson, the teen's father, had claimed that Sampson had expressed concern for the insecure safety harness during the ride.
Lawyers Call For Witnesses
The graphic clip which has emerged on social media shows the Sampson sitting on the ride with unbuckled harness hanging over his shoulders. An emergency call made to 911, after the tragic incident, also suggests that Sampson's safety harness may not have been properly secured.
Sampson's family has hired two separate attorneys, Bob Hilliard and Ben Crump, a well-known civil rights attorney. Speaking to KSDK, Hillard said, "This young man, he was athletic and he was big. He had no way of knowing. This is going to be an issue of a lack of supervision and lack of training. A straight-up negligence case."
In a separate statement, Crump said the family is shocked and heartbroken at the loss of their son. "This young man was the kind of son everyone hopes for — an honor roll student, an aspiring athlete, and a kind-hearted person who cared about others," read the statement.
Crump also asked anyone who witnessed the incident to contact his legal team. "A fun theme park visit with his football team should not have ended in tragedy. Families have a right to expect these national theme parks, making millions of dollars, will keep their children safe and will put that safety above all else.," added Hilliard.
Ride Owner Denies Any Wrongdoing
Sampson, who was dubbed as 'gentle giant' was 6 feet, 5 inches tall and weighed over 300 pounds. Reportedly the ride he was riding is known for taking the riders up to 430 feet. It then tilts in manner that the riders face the ground for a moment before plummeting back towards the ground at speeds of 75 mph or more.
The investigating authorities including the Orange County Sheriff's Office and the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services refused to divulge details on account of investigation still being in progress.
News Channel 8 reported that the ride's owner claimed that the ill-fated ride had several safety checks and that the equipment was functioning properly before the free-fall ride began operation. "Again, everything was functioning properly when the ride started. What we don't know is what happened after that. We're just deeply saddened and shocked by what happened last night. Our hearts break for the family," Stine told the outlet.
