ORLANDO, Fla. — The family of Tyre Sampson gathered Friday to remember his life 1 year after his tragic death.
>>> STREAM THE NEWS CONFERENCE LIVE <<<
Sampson died after he fell from the Orlando FreeFall ride at Icon Park on International Drive.
Photos: Family remembers Tyre Sampson 1 year after his death on the Orlando FreeFall ride
0 of 9
The Orlando FreeFall ride has recently been dismantled as Sampson’s family is still working to make sure deaths like this never happen again.
Sampson’s family held a news conference to honor his memory.
Florida lawmakers are pushing to make these types of thrill rides safer.
A bill called the Tyre Sampson Act would require training for ride operators and also require the need additional maintenance requirements.
State Sen. Geraldine Thompson is promoting the bill that focuses on signage so riders know the height and weight requirement before they get on.
Read: Orlando FreeFall ride owner reaches settlement with state after Tyre Sampson’s death
State investigators discovered the ride operators made adjustments to at least one seat on the free fall ride to accommodate larger people.
Data shows Tyre was almost 100 pounds over the ride’s weight limit.
The Tyre Sampson Act would also require an annual affidavit and third-party inspections as well as make sure that anytime major modifications are made, those changes are reported.
Watch: Orlando FreeFall’s operator made manual adjustments to ride that made it unsafe
See more in the video above.
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2023 Cox Media Group
