ATLANTA: Six Flags has temporarily suspended operations of nine roller coasters across its amusement parks in the United States following a fatal incident at Six Flags Over Georgia, where a man died and several others were reportedly injured.
The incident occurred shortly before 4pm on Monday at the park’s Goliath roller coaster, located about 10 miles west of downtown Atlanta. Police have not disclosed the cause of the man’s death or confirmed the number of people injured.
However, witnesses told mediaaffiliate WXIA that the man fell from the ride and struck the coaster several times before landing on the roof of a haunted house attraction below.
A Six Flags spokesperson said nine roller coasters at six other parks had been temporarily closed as a precaution while the incident was investigated.
The Goliath ride, according to the park’s website, lasts approximately 210 seconds, reaches speeds of up to 70 miles per hour and climbs to a height of 200 feet.
The Cobb County Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit is investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. Police said officers assigned to the park and uniformed patrol personnel responded to the scene.
In a statement, Six Flags Over Georgia expressed sorrow over the incident and extended condolences to the deceased man’s family, friends and loved ones.
The park was open on Monday for the Columbus Day holiday, when many schools in the Atlanta area observe fall break. Visitors were subsequently evacuated as authorities responded to the emergency.
Witnesses recount frightening moments
Several visitors described the incident to local media, saying they witnessed the man fall while riding Goliath.
A couple who were aboard the coaster said they saw the man strike the ride multiple times. The woman recalled that the experience turned from an enjoyable outing into a frightening ordeal.
Another passenger told WXIA that the man appeared to land on a girl seated two rows ahead of her. She also believed he had been visiting the park with his son, while his wife and daughter watched from the ground.
Rahim Hakmati, a season pass holder, told media that he arrived as crowds were leaving the park. He said security personnel were directing visitors away from Goliath, which had stopped on its lift hill.
Passengers on a coaster car stranded on a steep incline were later escorted down a staircase alongside the tracks, according to aerial footage broadcast by WXIA.
H Hakmati said he and others were eventually evacuated from the park. He added that he had ridden Goliath the previous evening and had not noticed anything unusual.
The Goliath attractions at Six Flags parks in Illinois and California share the same name, although the three rides were manufactured by different companies. Reporter said it had contacted Bolliger & Mabillard, the manufacturer of the Georgia coaster.
Cobb County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Lisa Cupid expressed sympathy for the victim’s family and others affected by the incident. She said county authorities would work with the park and relevant partners as the investigation continued.
Incident renews scrutiny of amusement park safety
The fatal incident comes weeks after Six Flags announced the permanent closure of its X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California following investigation into reported serious injuries and deaths associated with the attraction.
The investigation identified more than a dozen reports of serious injuries and hospitalisations linked to X2, including at least two reported deaths. In July, two women reportedly suffered brain injuries after riding the attraction within six days of each other.
Three lawsuits filed in September alleged that Six Flags had been aware of the ride’s potential dangers. One of the plaintiffs, 26-year-old Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, reportedly remains in a coma.
The park has defended the attraction in legal proceedings, citing warnings that amusement rides carry inherent risks. Following the closure, Six Flags Magic Mountain President Brian Oerding said the ride had passed numerous safety tests but that management believed shutting it down was the right decision.
The latest incident has brought renewed attention to safety procedures at major amusement parks as investigators work to establish what happened in Georgia.
In 2024, Six Flags merged with Cedar Fair, creating the largest amusement park operator in the United States.
