Tyre Sampson fell more than 100 feet from the ride.
26 April 2022, 03:20
• 4 min read
Share to FacebookShare to TwitterEmail this articleThe family of the teenager who died after falling from an amusement park ride in Florida told "Good Morning America" that his death was preventable.
"This could've been prevented ... it should've been prevented," Nekia Dodd, the mother of Tyre Sampson, told "GMA." "So as an operator, you have a job to check those rides, you know. The video I saw, that was not done. And if it was done, it should've been done more than once, you know."
Sampson, 14, died after falling from a ride at ICON Park in Orlando on March 24. His parents filed a civil wrongful death lawsuit on Monday.
Dodd and Tyre Sampson's father, Yarnell Sampson, filed the lawsuit in the 9th Circuit Court in Orange County, Florida, accusing ICON Park in Orlando and other defendants, including the manufacturer and the operator of the FreeFall thrill ride, of negligence.
A makeshift memorial for Tyre Sampson is viewed outside the Orlando Free Fall ride at the ICON Park entertainment complex, on April 20, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. Sampson, a teenager visiting from Missouri on spring break, fell to his death while on the ride.
"Tyre had a long and prosperous life in front of him that was cut short by this tragic event," the lawsuit states.
“Orlando Slingshot continues to fully cooperate with the State during its investigation, and we will continue to do so until it has officially concluded," Trevor Arnold, attorney for Orlando Slingshot, said in a statement to ABC News. "We reiterate that all protocols, procedures and safety measures provided by the manufacturer of the ride were followed. We look forward to working with the Florida legislature to implement change in the industry and we are also supportive of the concepts outlined by State Representative Geraldine Thompson to make changes to state law through the ‘Tyre Sampson Bill’ to prevent a tragic accident like this from ever happening again."
Last week, officials listed operator error as the primary suspected cause in the death of Sampson, who slipped out of his seat on a drop-tower ride and fell more than 100 feet to the pavement.
In this screen grab from video, Nekia Dodd, the mother of Tyre Sampson who was killed in an Orlando amusement park accident last month is shown during an interview with GMA.
Sampson's parents are scheduled to hold a news conference with their attorneys Tuesday to discuss the legal action.
You can watch the full interview with Dodd Tuesday morning on "GMA."
ABC News' Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report.
