ORLANDO, Fla. – Nearly three years after a 14-year-old’s deadly fall from the Orlando FreeFall drop tower, Morgan & Morgan has filed a lawsuit against its ride operator.
The Orlando-based law firm filed a lawsuit on behalf of a former maintenance technician after he raised safety issues with the FreeFall ride that resulted in Tyre Sampson’s death.
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Austin Alexander, who worked as a maintenance technician for Orlando Eagle Drop Slingshot from April 2021 to March 2023, reportedly identified several safety issues with the FreeFall ride that was located at ICON Park.
Among the concerns were overridden sensors to accommodate larger patrons, overheated cylinders affecting seat security, and cracks in the ride’s metal structure. Despite reporting these issues to his supervisor, Alexander claims the company continued operating the ride without addressing the safety concerns, the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit further states that during the investigation into the minor’s death, Alexander was asked to falsify maintenance logs to reflect tasks as completed prior to the incident. After refusing to comply, he was placed on paid administrative leave for a year. Following the settlement of a civil lawsuit with the minor’s family, Alexander’s employment was terminated, which he alleges was in retaliation for his whistleblowing actions.
Sampson,14, died on March 24, 2022, when he fell from the 430-foot drop tower attraction while visiting on spring break. In the aftermath of his death, inspectors revealed the teen had been too big for the ride and the shoulder harness wasn’t secured.
The ride has since been taken down.
In 2023, Orlando Eagle Drop Slingshot reached a settlement with the state and agreed never to operate the drop tower again.
The full lawsuit has been attached to this story and can be read in the media viewer below.