A parkgoer died Monday while riding Goliath, the tallest roller coaster in Georgia at Six Flags Over Georgia. Several other people were injured, and the theme park was evacuated after the incident.
Witnesses told 11Alive that the man fell from the Goliath roller coaster and struck the ride several times.
One witness told reporter Cody Alcorn that the fall was captured in a souvenir photograph taken during the ride.
“He fell and hit the car three different times,” the witness said.
Another person on Reddit said they had been waiting in line to board the roller coaster when the incident occurred.
“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 scene as “very sad and surreal.”
As emergency crews responded, riders on Goliath were evacuated four at a time. Employees helped them leave the coaster cars and reach an adjacent staircase.
Videos shared on social media showed that the riders had been stranded on an incline near the middle of the track after the attraction was shut down.
Riders were evacuated from Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia after a man died Monday.
Six Flags Over Georgia officials said park employees and local authorities responded immediately after a man fell from Goliath. The theme park is pictured here.
“We are deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park today,” a Six Flags spokesperson told Our News Outlet. “Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the guest’s family, friends and loved ones.”
The spokesperson said the park was also providing support to guests and team members affected by the incident.
“The park team and local authorities responded immediately, and we are cooperating fully with local authorities as they complete their investigation,” the spokesperson added.
“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 were “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 said Mableton Public Safety Director Dr. Kerry Stalling was coordinating with Cobb County police and park security in response to the incident.
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“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.”
Officials have not said what caused the fatal incident.
Christopher Hawley, center, 22, died in 2022 after riding the X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Mountain Magic with his brother and cousin.
Six Flags Magic Mountain in California announced last month it was demolishing its notorious X2 rollercoaster
The Goliath, which was manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, opened at the park in 2006. It reaches speeds of 70mph with an elevation of 200 feet.
Our News Outlet has reached out to Six Flags Over Georgia for more information.
The tragedy 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 a 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.
More lawsuits would be filed in the coming weeks, the lawyers then vowed.
