ST. LOUIS — Tyre Sampson's parents called for justice on Tuesday in their first public appearances since the 14-year-old fell to his death from an Orlando thrill ride in March.
Nekia Dodd, Tyre's mother, joined her attorney Michael Haggard for a news conference in St. Louis where they reflected on her son's life and pushed for accountability in his tragic death.
Dodd described the moments she found out about her son's fall as "heartwrenching" and "disturbing."
"I couldn't do anything for my son but cry over the phone. I couldn't touch him, I couldn't hold him, I couldn't hug him, I couldn't do anything. I don't wish that on any parent," she said.
Dodd explained that she wants Tyre to be remembered as "a loving young man" and a "gentle giant" who was destined for an incredible football career.
"He was going to be known, but not like this," she said.
The news conference came just one day after the family filed a wrongful death civil lawsuit against several companies it believes to be responsible for Sampson's death, including ICON Park and ride operating company The Slingshot Group.
Both Dodd and Haggard emphasized that they were pushing for changes to ride safety requirements so that no other family has to experience a loss like this.
Haggard touched on several arguments made in the lawsuit, focusing on the claim that the Orlando FreeFall ride did not have seatbelts despite recommendations that they could make the ride safer.
The lawsuit explains that most free-fall rides have both a shoulder harness and a seatbelt but ICON Park's ride, which is considered the world’s tallest free-standing drop tower, only had an over-the-shoulder harness.
It goes on to say that seatbelts for this ride would have cost $22 per seat for a combined total of $660. Haggard argued that this added safety feature could've saved Sampson's life.
Haggard also reiterated the claim that no height or weight restrictions were posted on the ride's ticket counter and that Tyre, who was approximately 6-feet, 2-inches tall and 380 pounds, was not told he was too big to get on the ride.
For context, the ride's operations and maintenance manual — to which it must adhere — lists the "maximum passenger weight" as 130kg, or roughly 287 pounds.
The attorney mentioned information revealed in a report last week that improper manual adjustments were made to the FreeFall tower ride ahead of the teen's tragic death, including modifications that allowed the ride to operate without Sampson's harness properly closed.
Tyre's father, Yarnell Sampson, held a news conference Tuesday afternoon at Orlando's ICON Park along with his attorneys, Ben Crump and Bob Hilliard. They reiterated the claims made in the lawsuit and highlighted their mission of "Justice for Tyre."
Yarnell said he found out about his son's death through seeing the video of the fall online. “When I found out it was my child, it took the breath out of me. It took some life out of me as well," he said.
“It made me numb and helpless because I wasn’t here to protect my son," Yarnell continued.
Sampson was visiting from Missouri with a friend's family when he fell from the Orlando FreeFall ride on March 24. He would later die at the hospital from his injuries, according to authorities.
The Orlando FreeFall ride opened in December 2021. According to a news release, the thrill ride stands at 430 feet, "making it the world's tallest free-standing drop tower."
The park says the ride holds 30 people. The ride rotates around the gigantic tower as it rises to the top. Once riders reach the top, the ride tilts forward 30 degrees and faces the ground for a "brief moment before free-falling nearly 400 feet at speeds reaching over 75 mph."
The ride will remain closed as authorities continue to investigate.
Attorney Trevor Arnold, who represents The Slingshot Group that operated the ride, said the organization has fully cooperated with the state investigation and will continue to do so.
"Orlando Slingshot continues to fully cooperate with the State during its investigation, and we will continue to do so until it has officially concluded," Arnold wrote in a statement. "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."
You can watch the full press conference below: