A former maintenance technician has filed a lawsuit saying he had raised safety concerns about the free-fall ride at a Florida amusement park before a Missouri teenager fell off and plunged to his death in 2022.
Tyre Sampson, 14, was visiting from Missouri during spring break when he went on a free-fall ride at ICON Park in Orlando. Sampson fell at least 100 feet and sustained numerous broken bones and internal injuries.
The autopsy showed Sampson weighed 383 pounds, nearly 100 pounds more than the ride’s 285-pound limit. A report into the death found that he was not properly secured because the ride had been adjusted manually to double the size of the opening for restraints on two seats.
Austin Campbell-Alexander, a former maintenance technician at the park, claimed that he noticed safety issues with the Free Fall ride and flagged them to his bosses — but that they continued to operate the ride.
He said he noticed issues with the ride's seats and structural integrity in January 2022 and noticed cracks in the joints of the ride’s gondola. He also alleged the ride's safety equipment was being overridden by an operations manager using a replacement sensor for two seats to accommodate heavier riders than normally allowed.
Campbell-Alexander worked at the park from April 2021 until his termination on March 31, 2023.
He filed a state whistleblower lawsuit Wednesday in Orange County Florida civil court against Orlando Eagle Drop Slingshot LLC and the Slingshot group of companies, described as the constructors, operators or owners of the park ride.
Trevor Arnold, an attorney for ride’s operators, countered Campbell-Alexander’s allegations, saying: “Mr. Campbell-Alexander’s claims are in direct conflict with statements he provided following the accident, which will no doubt be demonstrated in Court.”
He alleged that beginning in March 2022 — two weeks before Sampson’s death — he and a co-worker noticed the pneumatic cylinder on the seats — a metal cylinder described as responsible for locking and holding the customers into the seat — was too hot. The suit also alleges they noticed issues with the ride's electrical switches.
The suit says that when there are issues with the pneumatic cylinders, “it does not allow for the seats to secure properly, which puts riders at risk.”
Campbell-Alexander described the issues as "dangerous" and alerted his supervisor. The following morning the wiring was changed, but the ride would not run because of the changes.
The suit says Campbell-Alexander notified his supervisor every time he noticed a safety issue.
The suit says it was determined that a technician from the ride's manufacturer in Austria had to come and reprogram the ride. Yet the defendants continued to operate the ride, bypassing the safety issue, the suit alleges.
“By operating a knowingly unsafe ride to the public, defendants prioritized profits over patron safety,” the complaint says.
Three days after Sampson’s death, Campbell-Alexander says, he was called into the office of Richie Armstrong, an official with Orlando Slingshot, to be interviewed by an investigator hired by the defendants. During the investigation period, Campbell-Alexander says, his bosses asked him to backfill blank maintenance logs and sign off on certain maintenance tasks as having been performed, and he objected. Around April 2022, he was placed on leave and not allowed to return to the park.
Sampson’s family reached a settlement with ICON Park and Eagle Drop Slingshot, the ride’s owner, in 2023. Last year, a Florida jury also awarded the family $310 million in a wrongful death suit against the Austrian company that manufactured the ride, Funtime Handels GmbH.
After the civil suit with Sampson’s family was settled, Armstrong called Campbell-Alexander on March 23, 2023, saying he was being terminated, the suit sayd.
“Clearly, Plaintiff was only put on paid leave while defendants attempted to resolve the civil lawsuit with the family of T. Sampson because Plaintiff refused to fraudulently affirm false maintenance logs,” it says.
The complaint alleges violation of Florida’s private-sector whistleblower act and demands back pay and front pay in lieu of reinstatement and damages in excess of $50,000.
Greg Schmitz, an attorney for Campbell-Alexander, said in a statement: "The defendants allegedly refused to take the necessary steps to fix the problem and chose to keep the ride open, putting all riders at risk and ultimately contributing to the death" of Sampson.
"Instead of taking accountability for their actions, the defendants allegedly tried to cover up their mistakes and, when Mr. Alexander refused to help, placed him on leave and terminated him," he continued. "We will work to hold Orlando Eagle Drop Slingshot accountable and send a message to all ride owners and operators that you cannot sweep safety concerns under the rug or punish workers who bring them to light."
Arnold, the attorney for the ride's operators, claimed that Campbell-Alexander's work on the ride had contributed to Sampson's death.
“Our clients promptly investigated the tragic accident that resulted in the death of Tyre Sampson. Upon discovering that Mr. Campbell-Alexander adjusted the sensors that resulted in the accident, he was suspended and relieved of any further involvement or access to any rides. Upon learning of Mr. Campbell-Alexander’s and other employees’ conduct, we proactively notified investigating authorities," Arnold said.
Arnold said the ride operators cooperated with investigators and "worked diligently to resolve the litigation and claims with Tyre’s family as well as the administrative agencies involved."
The Free Fall ride was dismantled in March 2023.