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Teen appeared to fall out of Florida drop-tower ride halfway through plunge

Orlando FreeFall ride
Posted at 9:47 AM, May 04, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-04 09:47:03-04

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A 14-year-old Missouri boy who fell to his death from a 430-foot drop-tower ride in central Florida's tourist district appeared to slip out of his seat at the halfway mark of its plunge to the ground.

That's according to a law enforcement report released Tuesday through a public records request.

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The incident report says the father of a friend of Tyre Sampson who witnessed the March 24 accident told deputies that the teen appeared to fall out of his seat when plunging passengers on the Free Fall ride passed a point that was halfway down the tower.

Last week, Sampson's parents sued the ride's owner, manufacturer and landlord, saying they were negligent.