The parents of a 14-year-old Missouri boy who fell to his death from an Orlando amusement park ride in 2022 have won a $310 million verdict against the attraction’s Austrian builder.
The Orange County jury ordered Funtime, the manufacturer, to pay $155 million each to Tyre Sampson’s parents, Nekia Dodd and Yarnell Sampson, following a one-day trial. Funtime did not appear in court to defend itself.
Tyre Sampson died on March 24, 2022, after falling 70 feet from Icon Park’s Orlando Free Fall ride. The ride did not have seat belts, which his family said would have cost $660 to install. Instead, the attraction relied on a shoulder harness that did not lock properly due to Tyre’s size.
The family argued that Icon and Funtime should have warned their son about the risks of someone his size going on the ride and did not provide an appropriate restraint system. The ride was closed by the state after the accident and has now been demolished.
The family’s lawyers, Ben Crump and Natalie Jackson, said the verdict confirms that Tyre’s death was the result of “blatant negligence and a failure to prioritize safety over profits.” The family will now have to seek an order from an Austrian court to collect the damages.