Man Who Fell to His Death From Six Flags Roller Coaster Was Riding With His Son

A man died after falling from Georgia’s tallest rollercoaster while riding with his son, as his wife and daughter watched the horrifying incident from the ground.

The man was on the Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia with his son at about 3.58pm Monday when he fell from his seat, witnesses said. He struck the rollercoaster several times before landing on the roof of a haunted house attraction below.

Several other people were injured during the incident, although officials have not disclosed how many were hurt or provided details about the severity of their injuries.

The theme park was evacuated in the aftermath.

A witness told 11 Alive that the man’s fall was captured in a souvenir photograph taken on the ride.

“He fell and hit the car three different times,” the witness recalled.

Another woman said the man had been riding with his son while his wife and daughter watched from below when the tragedy unfolded.

A third witness claimed on Reddit that he was waiting to board the rollercoaster when the train carrying the man returned to the station.

“The train pulled into the station, all the riders were distressed and a man who was sitting next to [the person who died] was screaming that whoever was sitting next to him fell out,” the Reddit user wrote, describing the experience as “very sad and surreal.”

Riders on the rollercoaster were evacuated four at a time as employees helped them out of the cars and onto a nearby staircase.

According to footage shared on social media, the riders had been stranded on a steep section of the track after the ride was shut down following the fatal incident.

A Six Flags spokesperson said park officials “are deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park today.”

“Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the guest’s family, friends and loved ones,” the spokesperson said, adding that the park was “also providing support to the guests and team members affected.”

The spokesperson said “the park team and local authorities responded immediately” and that Six Flags was cooperating fully with investigators.

“Out of respect for the family’s privacy, we will not be sharing additional details at this time.”

Mableton Mayor Michael Owens said city officials “are deeply saddened by the tragic incident at Six Flags Over Georgia today.”

“Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the individual’s family, friends and loved ones during this difficult time,” Owens said in a statement. He added that Mableton Public Safety Director Dr. Kerry Stallings was working with Cobb County police and park security in response to the incident.

‘We are grateful to the personnel responding to this incident, and we will continue to support coordination with the appropriate authorities,’ the mayor said.

‘Out of respect for the family and the ongoing investigation, we will refrain from commenting further at this time.’ 

Cobb County Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid also called it a ‘terrible tragedy’ as she announced that the man’s next of kin have been notified about his untimely passing.

‘I cannot imagine the horror the patrons and employees witnessed today and my heart aches for the family who lost a loved one,’ she said, asking the public to ‘please keep in your thoughts the family of the deceased, those who were injured, the employees and leadership of Six Flags and our community.

READ MORE: Democratic New York AG Letitia James Blasted Over Gaffe-Filled Debate

‘We are all grappling with how something so devastating could happen at a place that has given generations of families such happy memories,’ Cupid said. 

It remains unclear what may have caused the tragedy.

The Goliath, which was manufactured by Switzerland-based Bolliger & Mabillard, opened at the park in 2006. It reaches speeds of 70mph with an elevation of 200 feet. 

Six Flags has now closed similar rides throughout the country as the investigation continues.

‘Out of an abundance of caution we have temporarily closed similar attractions across our parks,’ park officials said in a statement.

‘The safety of our guests and team members remains one of our highest priorities.’ 

Our News Outlet has reached out to Six Flags Over Georgia for more information. 

The tragedy on Monday comes just one month after Six Flags Magic Mountain in California announced it was demolishing its notorious X2 rollercoaster.

‘While X2 consistently passed a multitude of safety tests, we have decided to close the ride because we believe it’s the right thing to do,’ park President Brian Oerding said in an online announcement. 

‘Ride safety is a cornerstone of our business, and when we see guest confidence affected, we take it seriously.’

The theme park had settled a wrongful-death lawsuit from the family of 22-year-old Christopher Hawley, who died after riding the coaster in 2022, and three other lawsuits alleging traumatic brain injuries were filed.

The ride had then been closed since the evening of July 12, after two women who rode the coaster less than a week apart needed to be rushed to the hospital.

One of them, 25-year-old Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, collapsed shortly after the ride ended and was found to have massive brain bleeding inside the skull that required emergency brain surgery. 

She now remains in a vegetative state in the hospital, unable to speak or move and dependent on a ventilator. 

Her family has filed a lawsuit against Six Flags on her behalf, with her attorneys saying that more than 100 people have claimed they suffered brain injuries from the roller coaster over the past two years.

Another woman, 40-year-old Pamela Guillen, suffered severe brain hemorrhages after riding the X2 at Six Flags in Valencia, California. 

Her daughter, Camille Marquez, told CNN: ‘We got off the cart and we saw my mom. She looked lifeless. Not a thought behind her eyes, nothing.’

More lawsuits would be filed in the coming weeks, the lawyers then vowed.