A high-profile roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain, described as one of the most intense rides in the world, has remained closed for more than a month after a guest suffered a serious injury, with no reopening date announced.
The Valencia theme park closed X2 — promoted as the world’s first 4th-dimension roller coaster — on July 5 after the Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to a report that a rider had been found unconscious, KTLA first reported.
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, known as Cal/OSHA, has opened an inspection into the incident, but declined to provide details, citing the “ongoing” investigation.
Since that day, X2 has not been available to Six Flags Magic Mountain guests.
In a statement, Six Flags Magic Mountain confirmed the ride is currently not operating.
“We hope to get the ride back up as soon as possible,” a spokesperson told the California Post.
“We do not have an estimated time of when X2 will be reopening.”
The park did not answer questions about what prompted the closure or whether the ride is undergoing safety or maintenance inspections.
It also has not publicly commented on the incident that occurred prior to the ride’s closure, which left the patron in an unknown condition.
Six Flags promotes X2 as “a rite of passage for the ultimate daredevil”, which will leave “even the most hardened thrill seeker screaming.”
It was officially opened as X in 2002, before it was revamped and rethemed as X2 six years later.
“With 360 degrees rotating seats and head-first, face down drops, X2 is downright scary,” the park’s website states.
The ride reaches speeds of 76 miles per hour as adrenaline junkies dive, flip and twist their way across the 3610ft track.
“To make things even better, your 360 degrees seat extends on wings far off the track, so your body will be flipping around the entire time,” the ride’s description reads.
“Quite simply, you will be spun into another dimension.”
The ride’s closure comes as a Garden Grove family attempts to seek compensation from the park in a jury trial slated to commence in September.
The family has alleged their son, Christopher Hawley, died after he suffered a catastrophic subdural hematoma after going on the ride in June 2022.
The 22-year-old was on the roller coaster with his younger brother and cousin when it “suddenly, abruptly and violently jolted to a halt”, according to the lawsuit.
Christopher complained that his head hurt before kneeling down and losing consciousness, the family alleged.
He was taken to Valencia’s Henry Mayo Newhall hospital, but died the next day.
Six Flags Magic Mountain is a 260-acre theme park that’s home to many of the tallest, fastest, steepest coasters and thrilling attractions in the world.
