ORLANDO, Fla. — For the first time since Tyre Sampson’s fatal fall from the Orlando FreeFall ride at ICON Park, his mother, Nekia Dodd, visited the site on Wednesday, March 15.

Dodd is now hoping to find some kind of closure as the FreeFall ride comes down, something she’s been waiting for ever since this tragedy first happened.

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"The ride is coming down. I'm thankful for that. But, you know, my son isn't coming back," said Dodd. "So, it's a bittersweet moment. I do appreciate the state of Florida, [Department of] agriculture, agreeing and allowing this ride to come down."

Nearly a year after his death on March 24, 2022, the 450-foot drop tower ride will be dismantled, according to attorneys for the ride’s operator, Orlando Eagle Drop Slingshot LLC.

​“We hope to have the ride fully deconstructed before the anniversary of Tyre Sampson’s tragic death, and we will continue to work in that direction and give timeline updates as they are available,” attorney Trevor Arnold said in a written statement provided to Spectrum News.

Half the road’s been blocked off to make room for a crane, and the area’s morphed into an active construction site.

Dodd was joined by her attorneys Michael Haggard and Kimberly Wald, who previously expressed relief over the ride being permanently removed.

“Ms. Dodd requested this very action shortly after Tyre was tragically taken from her,” reads the statement by attorney Michael Haggard. “While this is a welcome development, Ms. Dodd and her attorneys at The Haggard Law Firm ask that the disassembling of the ride does not remove the memory of this tragedy. Ms. Dodd remains focused on real change in the oversight and operation of thrill rides and accountability by any party involved in failing to keep theme park guests safe. It is part of Tyre’s legacy. A legacy that can never be stripped down.”

Dodd and her lawyers said it isn’t often that amusement rides actually get taken down permanently, following tragic incidents like last year’s.

They thanked Orlando journalists for consistently reporting on the FreeFall ride, and the state’s investigation into what went wrong, saying that coverage helped hold ride owners accountable.

Dodd’s lawyers also announced Wednesday they’ve reached a settlement with ICON Park and the ride’s owner, Orlando Eagle Drop Slingshot LLC.

Orlando Eagle Drop Slingshot LLC was fined $250,000 in a settlement with Florida’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), and agreed to never operate the drop tower ride again, beyond any inspections or tests that may be necessary to prepare to remove the ride from its current location at ICON Park. 

Last year, Spectrum News 13’s Watchdog team acquired surveillance video of Sampson boarding the FreeFall ride, and staff members apparently altering inspection records for the ride the morning after his death. FDACS officials confirmed that the video was part of their investigation. 

The state hired an engineering consulting firm to analyze the ride, revealing two specific seats had been manipulated to allow the ride to operate even if the harnesses on those seats didn’t fully close.

Ride attendants were trained to direct larger guests to those specific seats, according to the state’s investigative report and a former employee who spoke with Spectrum News over the phone.

FDACS published the engineering firm’s report in April, long before officially finishing its investigation in November.

Last month, Florida lawmakers proposed two bills regarding amusement ride safety — one titled the “Tyre Sampson Act.” SB 902 would ramp up the state’s authority to oversee amusement rides, including by allowing for unannounced ride inspections. It would also create minimum training standards for ride attendants, among other things.

If passed, SB 902 would also activate a piece of companion legislation: SB 904, currently titled “Public Records/Active Amusement Ride Investigation.” That proposed law would create a public records exemption for materials related to an amusement ride investigation FDACS is conducting until that investigation concludes or is no longer active.

During Dodd’s visit to ICON Park today, she plans to address the bills moving forward in the Florida legislature. Her attorney, Michael Haggard, recently testified in favor of parts of the bill and new amendments, including a requirement for a seatbelt and harness for any ride over 100 feet.

Although the FreeFall ride’s manual mentions seat belts, the ride had no secondary safety restraint for guests beyond a pull-down harness, which did not properly fit Sampson, according to surveillance video. 

The ride’s manual also mentions a weight limit of roughly 286 pounds. Sampson weighed at least 300 pounds, according to family members.

Follow Spectrum News reporter Molly Duerig for more information from the press conference at 4 p.m. today.