Nonsense.. Tyre said the harness didn’t come all the way down (or something like that) before it went up. He’d been turned down on most all other rides and someone at the park said he could go on it. BIG problem was no notice of the weight limit, and someone jacking with the harness so the “it’s okay” light came on – the carriage wouldn’t go up if the light wasn’t on.
You can’t trust a kid to make the right decisions in these matters. Not the kid riding it, or the one checking the harnesses. It’s the manufacturer’s fault for making a ride that isn’t idiot proof. Take it down.
So the parents are suing the companies that had nothing to do with it causing rides across the country to shut down all because a ride operator decided to manually adjust the seat safety it wasnt the company it was the stupid ride operator its tragic what happened to their son but to sue the company who made the ride is just looking for a payout.
People die every day in car accidents because people fail to put on seat belts. We” havent baned” and trashed all automobiles. One accident doesn’t constitute stoping and demolishing all these kinds of rides. People are kidding themselves that everything is absolutely safe. There is an inherent risk of death on any kind of ride one chooses to experience!.
A similar thing happened on the Drop Tower (Drop Zone?) at Great America in Santa Clara years ago. They ended up putting a strap that held the ‘rigid harness’ to the seat between the rider’s legs.
His parents failed to parent. Period. They were not there to ask the attendants about limits. So if his parents read this…suck it up and admit it. You weren’t there. That’s where YOU ARE AT FAULT.
The ride attendant should have told him no. That is also true.
I agree.. The problem today is parents aren’t parenting and won’t to blame all their shortcomings on others fact is this was a child a 14 yr old child whom weighed over 350lbs also whom was told at almost every ride that he was over safety weight limits so he was refused on every ride until they found one where they could pay per ride separately and begged to ride either way his parents knew he was a weight risk yet still allowed him to pay to ride this. Any parent with common sense wouldn’t have allowed him to ride.. I’m extremely sorry to say this but Facts are facts and these parents instantly started out with lawsuit’s against everyone and saying they killed a promising young man I’m very sorry but your child was barely 14 and already at a deadly weight of over 350 lbs not only was he suffering serious health issues already but he was facing many more to come who allows their child at that age to get that obese and have nicknames for him such as big boi.. Bad parenting all around sorry but it’s the truth.
So when a tragedy happens to y’all’s family like what happened to Tyre Sampson an his family I hope y’all keep the same mind set be mindful of what you say an how you say it a touge is a powerful object to use in this life time
If you ask me it’s the fault of the parents and the other adults in his life, especially his football coach, he should have thrown him off the team for not losing more weight, as for the parents, well they should know how big their child is and they should have made him do the same, I have seen his picture and I believe that the only way to secure someone that large, would have been to completely redesign the seats so that a car belt can fit and no ride that I know of has done that as of yet.
To be honest I do not believe that they took down this particular ride because of this incident. I believe they took the ride down because it’s not making money for them and they’re probably going to add something to that area. I believe that person in question that wrote this article is trying to make more of it than what it really is. It has nothing to do with what happened in Florida. I believe this story is just to get everybody riled up which it has. Let’s be honest and use common sense when it comes to how ride operators are and how people riding rides can be yes the juvenile in question was way overweight from what I’ve read it was the ride operator that had changed the safety features. I believe this accident was caused by over zealousness by the Rider and The over eagerness of the ride operator to keep things going. The rider in question had already been turned away by several rides, unfortunately he wanted to take the drop and the ride operator probably knowing that that seat had been modified put him there just to get him out of the way. It was a sad tragedy and I do believe that the ride operator and the owner should be held accountable but to put everybody else including the designers the builders and all that in jeopardy there’s no reason for it. The report itself said that the modifications were made after Manufacturing. Should the family get a settlement yes should the person that allowed him to be in there be held accountable yes after that there’s nothing else to be said. It’s unfortunate that the young man died but in a way he signed his own death warrant he knew he shouldn’t have been on that ride and he wanted to be on that ride just like all the other rides that he had already been told he couldn’t ride.
It is horrible what happened and the operators of the ride should be held responsible, because they should have known that there are weight limits and that he shouldn’t have been allowed to ride. This should never have happened.
I’ve operated roller coasters and from what I’ve seen operators feel sorry and feel pressured to fit larger riders and other times the guest intimidates the ride op. I’ve never witnessed an accident but I can see some vulnerabilities there. I also think it’s foolish not to have a secondary buckle that holds the shoulder restraints if the hydraulics or other mechanisms fail. Some new rides have some seats designed for larger guests but I imagine that it’s hard to accommodate very large guests and still have the seat securely hold a small child. Over sized guests lose their lives too often like this. I can think of three of theses deaths of larger riders just in my adulthood, my lifetime. I agree with the other poster here Carson that the operation should be fool proof without any margin for operator error. Especially the possibility of a fatal error.
First of all there was no seatbelt because the ride didn’t require one! This ride operated day after day with no issues. Then an over 350 lb 14 year old kid whose parents have yet to be questioned why they weren’t there got on a ride that if he had been an adult should have known he was too big. His parents should have kept him off the ride! But they weren’t there. When I was 14 my parents made decisions for me since a 14 yr old isn’t old enough to know better. Bottom line the parents shouldn’t get a dime and they should be charged with negligent manslaughter!
I think everyone of you are right. The parents should have been there no doubt, the ride operators should have followed procedures and no I don’t think the ride should be tore down or any other ride. The ride didn’t kill the young man, protocol did. I’m an adrenaline seeker I’ll ride anything but I also know that when I get on a ride that anything can happen
Both SlingShot and Xtreme Skyflyer at Kings Island are paid attractions that aren’t worth the $10 price tag. Honestly I wouldn’t mind seeing Skyflyer get taken down, either. Not because I think they’re dangerous (you can never engineer for human error, which is what I think most people in this comment section fail to understand), but because no one wants to ride in a ball for $10 in a park where food is twice that much.
I can’t even stomach some of the ignorant comments on here. Are you really attacking this poor kids parents for his weight? Do you have no clue that some people, despite all efforts. Are just bigger in stature? He was 14 and 6’4…he WAS A BIG BOY!! And really?? His parents didn’t parent him right because they allowed him to go on a trip for his spring break? And he ASKED if he could ride and they said yes come right on in. So, was he to assume that because he asked and was told yes that they were lying or wrong? Have some compassion and stop blaming this CHILD or the adults in his life. And he’ll yeah they should sue…it’s call I’ll negligence and their son is now dead because of it. Sure a seat belt may have helped but THAT is not the problem either. The problem is that the fail safes we’re manipulated and kids are paid $13 an hr to push a button and not given proper training. Sure it may not happen again anytime soon but that doesn’t change the fact that it happened and now a child is gone and his family’s gotta feel that loss the rest of their lives. I am just amazed at how insensitive and judgemental and ignorant some of these comments are. Such a sad world we live in. RIP Big Boi! Thoughts and prayers to his friends and family ❤️🩹
I ride here in Vienna the Fun time Freefalltower 19 times.
It is the safest attraction I know.
This is a definite mistake by the operater.
Learn from it, but not get into hysteria.
So stupid. This is nothing more than an indictment on our broken legal system, combined with our (now) engrained woke mentality. Tearing down a completely unrelated ride because one kid who should never have been trying to get on a ride anyway (after having been denied admission on two other ICON rides previously), because of fear of legal ramifications, is completely insane. Oh, and by the way, attorneys can find fault in any situation. Even (for example) if the ride had seatbelts, if an accident had occurred anyway, the argument would surely have been made that it was wasn’t a full harness…
Comments for Theme Park Demolishes Attraction Made by Orlando FreeFall Manufacturer
Brian
He knew he wasn’t fit to ride he was told by multiple people multiple times I’m sorry this happened to the child but he was determined to ride
Jess
Brian your so ignorant
ChrisSnyder
Nonsense.. Tyre said the harness didn’t come all the way down (or something like that) before it went up. He’d been turned down on most all other rides and someone at the park said he could go on it. BIG problem was no notice of the weight limit, and someone jacking with the harness so the “it’s okay” light came on – the carriage wouldn’t go up if the light wasn’t on.
Carson
You can’t trust a kid to make the right decisions in these matters. Not the kid riding it, or the one checking the harnesses. It’s the manufacturer’s fault for making a ride that isn’t idiot proof. Take it down.
Moneyhungry
Lol I know that’s right Brian. The parents are happy they won’t be dirt poor anymore even if it’s at the cost of losing their son.
Noneya
So the parents are suing the companies that had nothing to do with it causing rides across the country to shut down all because a ride operator decided to manually adjust the seat safety it wasnt the company it was the stupid ride operator its tragic what happened to their son but to sue the company who made the ride is just looking for a payout.
Brad
People die every day in car accidents because people fail to put on seat belts. We” havent baned” and trashed all automobiles. One accident doesn’t constitute stoping and demolishing all these kinds of rides. People are kidding themselves that everything is absolutely safe. There is an inherent risk of death on any kind of ride one chooses to experience!.
Brittany
There was no seat belt for him to put on!!! 🤦🏼♀️
Evan
As if the seatbelt would’ve held him in 100% being that the seats also tilted him forward
Chris Snyder
A similar thing happened on the Drop Tower (Drop Zone?) at Great America in Santa Clara years ago. They ended up putting a strap that held the ‘rigid harness’ to the seat between the rider’s legs.
Melissa
His parents failed to parent. Period. They were not there to ask the attendants about limits. So if his parents read this…suck it up and admit it. You weren’t there. That’s where YOU ARE AT FAULT.
The ride attendant should have told him no. That is also true.
Melanie elanieMelanie
I agree.. The problem today is parents aren’t parenting and won’t to blame all their shortcomings on others fact is this was a child a 14 yr old child whom weighed over 350lbs also whom was told at almost every ride that he was over safety weight limits so he was refused on every ride until they found one where they could pay per ride separately and begged to ride either way his parents knew he was a weight risk yet still allowed him to pay to ride this. Any parent with common sense wouldn’t have allowed him to ride.. I’m extremely sorry to say this but Facts are facts and these parents instantly started out with lawsuit’s against everyone and saying they killed a promising young man I’m very sorry but your child was barely 14 and already at a deadly weight of over 350 lbs not only was he suffering serious health issues already but he was facing many more to come who allows their child at that age to get that obese and have nicknames for him such as big boi.. Bad parenting all around sorry but it’s the truth.
Asia Cerritos
How is that his parents fault ??? He was on trip with his football team…
Jill E. Bean
It isn’t his parents fault. Also, the lack of empathy for the grieving parents in this comment section is disgusting.
Evan
Taking down this ride would not make anything better at all. They are not taking down a brand new ride that they put hard work into
DR
So now your a comedian smh
DR
So when a tragedy happens to y’all’s family like what happened to Tyre Sampson an his family I hope y’all keep the same mind set be mindful of what you say an how you say it a touge is a powerful object to use in this life time
Ironbat
If you ask me it’s the fault of the parents and the other adults in his life, especially his football coach, he should have thrown him off the team for not losing more weight, as for the parents, well they should know how big their child is and they should have made him do the same, I have seen his picture and I believe that the only way to secure someone that large, would have been to completely redesign the seats so that a car belt can fit and no ride that I know of has done that as of yet.
James Augur
To be honest I do not believe that they took down this particular ride because of this incident. I believe they took the ride down because it’s not making money for them and they’re probably going to add something to that area. I believe that person in question that wrote this article is trying to make more of it than what it really is. It has nothing to do with what happened in Florida. I believe this story is just to get everybody riled up which it has. Let’s be honest and use common sense when it comes to how ride operators are and how people riding rides can be yes the juvenile in question was way overweight from what I’ve read it was the ride operator that had changed the safety features. I believe this accident was caused by over zealousness by the Rider and The over eagerness of the ride operator to keep things going. The rider in question had already been turned away by several rides, unfortunately he wanted to take the drop and the ride operator probably knowing that that seat had been modified put him there just to get him out of the way. It was a sad tragedy and I do believe that the ride operator and the owner should be held accountable but to put everybody else including the designers the builders and all that in jeopardy there’s no reason for it. The report itself said that the modifications were made after Manufacturing. Should the family get a settlement yes should the person that allowed him to be in there be held accountable yes after that there’s nothing else to be said. It’s unfortunate that the young man died but in a way he signed his own death warrant he knew he shouldn’t have been on that ride and he wanted to be on that ride just like all the other rides that he had already been told he couldn’t ride.
Jay
It is horrible what happened and the operators of the ride should be held responsible, because they should have known that there are weight limits and that he shouldn’t have been allowed to ride. This should never have happened.
Steve
I’ve operated roller coasters and from what I’ve seen operators feel sorry and feel pressured to fit larger riders and other times the guest intimidates the ride op. I’ve never witnessed an accident but I can see some vulnerabilities there. I also think it’s foolish not to have a secondary buckle that holds the shoulder restraints if the hydraulics or other mechanisms fail. Some new rides have some seats designed for larger guests but I imagine that it’s hard to accommodate very large guests and still have the seat securely hold a small child. Over sized guests lose their lives too often like this. I can think of three of theses deaths of larger riders just in my adulthood, my lifetime. I agree with the other poster here Carson that the operation should be fool proof without any margin for operator error. Especially the possibility of a fatal error.
John Wayne
First of all there was no seatbelt because the ride didn’t require one! This ride operated day after day with no issues. Then an over 350 lb 14 year old kid whose parents have yet to be questioned why they weren’t there got on a ride that if he had been an adult should have known he was too big. His parents should have kept him off the ride! But they weren’t there. When I was 14 my parents made decisions for me since a 14 yr old isn’t old enough to know better. Bottom line the parents shouldn’t get a dime and they should be charged with negligent manslaughter!
Asia Cerritos
They weren’t there because he was on trip with his football team for spring break…
Tracie
I think everyone of you are right. The parents should have been there no doubt, the ride operators should have followed procedures and no I don’t think the ride should be tore down or any other ride. The ride didn’t kill the young man, protocol did. I’m an adrenaline seeker I’ll ride anything but I also know that when I get on a ride that anything can happen
Deadsphere
People will die on rollercoasters due to human or mechanical error, yet you never hear people sobbing to take the coaster down.
Only in Florida, man.
Deadsphere
Both SlingShot and Xtreme Skyflyer at Kings Island are paid attractions that aren’t worth the $10 price tag. Honestly I wouldn’t mind seeing Skyflyer get taken down, either. Not because I think they’re dangerous (you can never engineer for human error, which is what I think most people in this comment section fail to understand), but because no one wants to ride in a ball for $10 in a park where food is twice that much.
Nicole
I can’t even stomach some of the ignorant comments on here. Are you really attacking this poor kids parents for his weight? Do you have no clue that some people, despite all efforts. Are just bigger in stature? He was 14 and 6’4…he WAS A BIG BOY!! And really?? His parents didn’t parent him right because they allowed him to go on a trip for his spring break? And he ASKED if he could ride and they said yes come right on in. So, was he to assume that because he asked and was told yes that they were lying or wrong? Have some compassion and stop blaming this CHILD or the adults in his life. And he’ll yeah they should sue…it’s call I’ll negligence and their son is now dead because of it. Sure a seat belt may have helped but THAT is not the problem either. The problem is that the fail safes we’re manipulated and kids are paid $13 an hr to push a button and not given proper training. Sure it may not happen again anytime soon but that doesn’t change the fact that it happened and now a child is gone and his family’s gotta feel that loss the rest of their lives. I am just amazed at how insensitive and judgemental and ignorant some of these comments are. Such a sad world we live in. RIP Big Boi! Thoughts and prayers to his friends and family ❤️🩹
Jill E. Bean
Spot on. These comments are making me sick. Do people have no empathy anymore?
Jackie Wulf
I ride here in Vienna the Fun time Freefalltower 19 times.
It is the safest attraction I know.
This is a definite mistake by the operater.
Learn from it, but not get into hysteria.
Rich
So stupid. This is nothing more than an indictment on our broken legal system, combined with our (now) engrained woke mentality. Tearing down a completely unrelated ride because one kid who should never have been trying to get on a ride anyway (after having been denied admission on two other ICON rides previously), because of fear of legal ramifications, is completely insane. Oh, and by the way, attorneys can find fault in any situation. Even (for example) if the ride had seatbelts, if an accident had occurred anyway, the argument would surely have been made that it was wasn’t a full harness…
Comments are closed.