Lawsuit specifically calls out the lack of a seat belt like other similar drop rides.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/family-missouri-boy-fell-off-160639036.html

I'm wondering how Gerstlauer is involved in this since they didn't manufacture the ride.

59 minutes ago, Oldiesmann said:

I'm wondering how Gerstlauer is involved in this since they didn't manufacture the ride.

Apparently Gerstlauer created the actual restraints

If it does turn out that someone at the park adjusted the seats to allow larger riders, then whoever did that and whoever employed them is fully at fault rather than the manufacturer. As someone previously pointed out, the belts on KI's Drop Tower are more of a sizing mechanism. It sounds like the Orlando Freefall has sensors for that same purpose and, from the manufacturer perspective, doesn't need belts. And belts aren't going to stop an operator determined to let more people ride.

The ride is being taken down.

https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/10/06/orlando-freefall-coming-down-after-14-year-old-boy-fell-to-his-death/

https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2022/10/06/orlando-free-fall-to-be-taken-down-after-tyre-sampson-death

 

 

The article didn’t exactly state WHO was responsible for the ride’s removal. Since the lawsuit hasn’t come to a conclusion, my guess is that Gerstlauer demanded it be dismantled. 
 

This tragedy makes my blood boil. This family lost a son, THEIR CHILD, because of an egregious chain of errors and monumentally poor decision making that prioritized their pockets over human safety. I hope that when the lawsuit is resolved (lol) the owners and managers of Slingshot Group are held accountable. At the very least they should be bankrupted and banned from the industry. Manslaughter or negligible homicide convictions on top of that would be ideal. 

State department fines Orlando FreeFall attraction company $250K after death of Tyre Sampson

https://www.wlrn.org/news/2022-11-23/state-department-fines-orlando-freefall-attraction-company-250k-after-death-of-tyre-sampson

Orlando amusement park ride tragedy leads to $310 million verdict for family

https://local12.com/news/nation-world/orlando-amusement-park-ride-tragedy-leads-to-310-million-dollar-verdict-tyre-sampson-family-freefall-icon-park-funtime-handels#

I think this judgment is symbolic of the court holding the company accountable, but in practical terms, recovering any amount of money across international borders is exceptionally difficult.

If Funtime wasn't even willing to show up to court, it means they are either done working in the U.S., or they will set up another entity to eat some of the loss. In either case, the family likely won't see a dime.

https://www.waff.com/2025/03/20/maintenance-tech-says-freefall-ride-operator-ignored-safety-concerns-before-teens-death/

The lawsuit claims his concerns were ignored, and that Alexander was asked to falsify maintenance logs to reflect tasks as completed prior to the incident.

This place needs to be shut down immediately for having zero integrity when it comes to guest safety.

The Drop Tower is moving to Texas: https://www.wesh.com/article/makers-free-fall-ride-teen-died-new-drop-tower-texas/70305167

^This appears to be a new ride, not the Florida ride. 

Oops...I read it as a new Drop Tower for Texas...either way...hoping it is a better experience for them and patrons.