>> THIS IS CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS AT 6 COVERAGE
YOU CAN COUNT ON.
>> RIGHT NOW, IT'S 6 STATE
INVESTIGATORS SAY CHANGES MADE
TO THE SEATS ON THIS. I DRIVE
AMUSEMENT RIDE LED TO A 14
YEAR OLDS DEATH. THE OPERATOR
OF THE ORLANDO DROP TOWER MADE
MANUAL ADJUSTMENTS. THE RIDE
RESULTING IN IT BEING UNSAFE.
INVESTIGATORS TOLD US TODAY
THE GAP BETWEEN THE SHOULDER
HARNESS AND TYREE SAMPSON SEE
WAS MORE THAN DOUBLE WHAT IT
WAS FOR OTHER RIDERS. YOU CAN
SEE SEE ONE THERE. THERE'S HOW
WIDE THE GAP IS.
>> THIS IS THE OTHER SEAT AND
YOU CAN SEE THE GAP IS MUCH
MORE NARROW. GOOD EVENING. I'M
GREG WARMOTH AND I'M MARCUS A
GASKET AGAIN. YOU CAN SEE
RIGHT HERE IN THE CITY CLOSEST
TO ME HOW MUCH LARGER.
>> THE GAP WAS CHANNEL NINE'S.
FELICIA ASHLEY IS LIVE RIGHT
NOW AT ICON PARK AND
INVESTIGATORS NOW SAY RIDE
OPERATORS HAVE BIG CHANGES TO
THAT SEAT SOME TIME BEFORE THE
DEADLY ACCIDENT.
DEADLY ACCIDENT. >> THAT IS WHAT WE LEARN FROM
THAT REPORT. WE READ THROUGH
EVERY SINGLE PAGE AND WE
LEARNED THAT IN THIS
INVESTIGATION THEY LEARNED
THAT SOMEONE AT SOME TIME
BEFORE TYREE SANSOM GOT ON
THAT SEAT MADE AN ADJUSTMENT
THAT PLAYED A PART AND THAT 14
YEAR OLDS TO.
>> THE REPORT CONFIRMS THE
MANUAL ADJUSTMENTS HAVE BEEN
MADE TO THE SENSOR. THE SEAT
IN QUESTION THAT ALLOWED THE
HARNESS TO RESTRAINED, OPENING
TO BE ALMOST DOUBLE THAT OF
THE NORMAL RESTRAINT. THIS
SEATS IN QUESTION SEAT. NUMBER
ONE, WHERE 14 YEAR-OLD TYREE
SAMPSON WAS SITTING IN MARCH.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE
DEPARTMENT WOULD ISSUE A
PERMIT. THE REPORTS FROM THE
FORENSIC ENGINEERS HIRED BY
THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER
SERVICES SHOWS THE RIDE
OPERATOR CREATED A 7.19 INCH
OPENING ENTIRE RECEIPT. THE
AVERAGE IS IN BETWEEN 2, 4
INCHES. I'M CONCERNED WITH ANY
OPERATOR THAT MAKES
ADJUSTMENTS AFTER AND
INSPECTION AND AFTER A IS
ISSUED, REPRESENTATIVE
ISSUED, REPRESENTATIVE GERALDINE THOMPSON PLANS TO
FILE THE TYREE SAMPSON HILL TO
MAKE SURE NO ONE LOSES THEIR
LIFE LIKE THIS. AGAIN, MY
UNDERSTANDING IT WAS C ONE AND
C 2 ONLY THAT WERE ADJUSTED
AND PRESUMABLY TO ALLOW FOR
LARGER RIDERS, WHICH SHOULD
NOT HAVE HAVE HAPPENED DURING
THE INVESTIGATION ANNOUNCEMENT
MONDAY. COMMISSIONER NIKKI
FRIED WOULD NOT ANSWER HOW
LONG AFTER THE RIDE INSPECTION
AND HOW FAR AHEAD BEFORE TYREE
WAS SEATED, THE ADJUSTMENTS
WERE MADE AS OUR INVESTIGATION
NOW ENTERS INTO THE NEXT PHASE
OF HOW AND WHY IT OCCURRED AS
WE LOOK TOWARD POTENTIAL
PENALTIES.
PENALTIES. >> FOR EATING AND THOMPSON DID
TELL US THAT SAMPSON'S FAMILY
WAS THE FIRST TO KNOW ABOUT
THE UPDATES IN THIS
INVESTIGATION. AND I WANT TO
SHOW YOU THAT THIS NEW ROLE
THAT HAS BEEN LEFT HERE,
RATHER, THIS MEMORIAL THAT HAS
BEEN LEFT AIR CONTINUES TO
GROW.
GROW.
GROW. >>
GROW. >> BEHIND ME ARE OUT IN FRONT
OF STILL LARGER CROWDS GROWING
TO SHOW THEIR SUPPORT FOR
SAMPSON AS WELL AS HIS FAMILY
FOUND COURTING LIVE FROM ICON
PARK. WE SHOULD ACTUALLY
CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS.
>> ALL RIGHT, FELICIA, THANK
YOU. IN THE LAST 2 HOURS, WE
ALSO SPOKE WITH MICHAEL
HAGGARD. HE IS THE ATTORNEY
FOR TYREE SAMPSON'S FAMILY. HE
SAYS THE ORLANDO FREEFALL
SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN BUILT
OR EVEN ALLOWED TO OPERATE
ONCE IT WAS CHANNEL NINE'S.
NICK PEPITONE IS CONTINUES.
OUR TEAM COVERAGE LIVE IN
STUDIO. NICK, YOU TALKED WITH
HIM IN THE FAMILY ATTORNEY
TOLD YOU THIS IS NOW POSSIBLY
TURNING INTO CRIMINAL CASE. HE
SAYS THIS IS A DANGEROUS RIDE
THAT WAS MADE EVEN WORSE BY
THOSE ADJUSTMENTS. HE TOLD ME
A FALL LIKE THIS WAS
INEVITABLE.
INEVITABLE. >> IT SHOCKED ME THAT
COMPANIES CAN BEAT THIS. HE
RESPONSIBLE SITTING IN HIS
CORAL GABLES OFFICE ATTORNEY
MICHAEL HAGGARD RAILED AGAINST
EVERY GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO HE
SAID CONTRIBUTED TO TYREE
SAMPSON'S DEATH. THE RIDE
MANUFACTURER THE RIGHT OWNER
AND ICON PARK ITSELF. IT'S ONE
OF THE MOST DANGEROUS IN THE
WORLD AND IT CAME WITHOUT SEAT
BELTS. IT CAME WITHOUT A
HARNESS BELT. YOU CAN
SECONDARY LAYER OF PROTECTION
TO AND AFTER THE REVELATION
THAT SEAT HAD BEEN ADJUSTED TO
FIT PASSENGERS OVER THE RIDES.
WEIGHT LIMIT HAGGARD SAYING
THE CASE COULD BECOME
CRIMINAL. YOU START TO GET
INTO INTENTIONAL. A VIEWER
THAT LIKELY LEADS TO TRAGEDY,
WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT
HAPPENED. THAT ALREADY SAID HE
WOULD ALLOW THE FACTS OF THE
INVESTIGATION TO LEAD HIM DOWN
WHATEVER PATH HE TAKES. HE IS
SO FAR ONLY RULED OUT GOING
AFTER THE TEENAGE RIDE
OPERATORS ON DUTY THAT NIGHT.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, HE SAYS HIS
CLIENT'S ACTIONS WILL ALSO BE
ABOUT PREVENTING ANOTHER
DEATH. SHE JUSTICE IN THIS
CASE. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY,
WATTS, UNIFORM STANDARDS THAT
THIS COULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN
AND ADDING TIGHT RESTRICTIONS
TO THESE TYPES OF LIES.
>> MOTHER OBVIOUSLY DISTURBED
BY THE COMMENTS. HE SAYS
ADJUSTMENTS LIKE THE ONE THAT
HAPPENED IN THIS CASE ARE NOT
COMMON. THAT SHOULD NEVER BE
MADE GREAT.
MADE GREAT. >> ALL RIGHT, NICK, THANK YOU.
IN LATE THIS AFTERNOON, WE GOT
THIS STATEMENT FROM SLINGSHOT
WHICH OWNS THE RIGHT. IT SAYS
IN PART, QUOTE, ORLANDO
SLINGSHOT HAS FULLY COOPERATED
WITH THE STATE DURING THE
INITIAL PHASE OF ITS
INVESTIGATION. AND WE WILL
CONTINUE TO DO SO UNTIL IT HAS
OFFICIALLY CONCLUDED. THEY
WENT ON TO SAY THAT ALL
PROTOCOLS, PROCEDURES AND
SAFETY MEASURES PROVIDED BY
THE MANUFACTURER OF THE RIDE
WERE FOLLOWED. MEANTIME, ICON
PARK WHERE THAT FREE FALL RIDE
OPERATES AND STILL STANDS
TONIGHT. ALSO RELEASED A
STATEMENT SAYING THIS. IT WAS
DEEPLY TROUBLED BY THE STATE'S
FINDINGS, ADDING, QUOTE, ICON
PARK IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING
US A FUN EXPERIENCE FOR
FAMILIES. WE WILL CONTINUE TO
SUPPORT THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT
OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER
SERVICES WITH ITS ONGOING
INVESTIGATION. WE'VE BEEN
FOLLOWING THIS TRAGEDY SINCE
IT HAPPENED LAST MONTH. AND
YOU CAN COUNT ON US TO
CONTINUE TO FOLLOW EVERY NEW
DEVELOPMENT BOTH ON AIR