Operator error was a factor when a 14-year-old Tyre Sampson slipped out of his seat and fell to his death at a Florida amusement park ride last month, officials said Monday.
The ride operator for the Free Fall attraction at ICON Park in Orlando “made adjustments to the ride resulting in it being unsafe,” said Nikki Fried, commissioner of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, in a press conference.
Manual adjustments had been made to the sensor for the seat “that allowed the harness-to-restraint opening to be almost double that of the normal restraint-opening range,” an investigation into the teenager’s death by Quest Engineering found.
BETO O’ROURKE CALLS GREG ABBOTT BUSING MIGRANTS OUT OF TEXAS A ‘POLITICAL STUNT’
“These misadjustments allowed the safety lights to illuminate improperly, satisfying the ride’s electronic safety mechanism that allowed the ride to operate even though Mr. Sampson was never properly secured in the seat,” Fried said.
Operator error was one of several factors that could have played a role in the incident, officials indicated. An ongoing investigation into the incident is evaluating possible action that could be taken by lawmakers and organizations on deciding whether theme parks should go above and beyond what a ride’s manual requires, authorities said.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The Free Fall attraction has been closed indefinitely as the investigation continues.
