A fatal incident at Six Flags Over Georgia has left one person dead and several others injured, according to local authorities. The Cobb County Police Department is investigating the death at the amusement park, which is located approximately 15 miles (24km) from Atlanta.
While officials have not officially confirmed which specific attraction was involved, aerial footage from news helicopters depicted the Goliath rollercoaster halted mid-ride, with staff assisting passengers off the ride. Witnesses, however, reported to local media that they observed a male guest being ejected from the coaster, a claim that has not yet been verified by the BBC.
In response to the tragedy, Six Flags announced it was temporarily shutting down nine rides across its US and Canadian locations as a precautionary measure. A spokesperson for the company expressed deep sadness over the incident, offering condolences to the victim’s family and loved ones, and confirmed that park personnel responded immediately while cooperating with law enforcement.
Lisa Cupid, chairwoman of the Cobb County governing body, stated that detectives from the local major crimes unit are examining the circumstances surrounding the event. Details regarding the cause of death, the nature of injuries sustained by other riders, and the identity of the deceased have not been released.
Horrified eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes to local news outlets. The station 11 Alive quoted one witness who claimed the man became dislodged from his seat, struck the rollercoaster structure and other riders, and subsequently fell onto the roof of a nearby haunted house attraction. The same source noted that the park’s onboard cameras captured the moment on souvenir photos.
Another witness, CiCi Nelson, told CNN she witnessed an empty seat with a loose safety bar and a bloodied girl after the Goliath ride returned to the station. She described widespread panic, including one man reportedly screaming that someone had fallen off. Brittany Landry, who also believes she saw the ejection, told Fox News she was distraught, stating, “We were just on there. We were having a great time and then just screaming ‘Oh my God, what is happening?’
The Goliath attraction, which opened in 2006, features a 200ft (60m) elevation, a 170ft drop, a 540-degree spiral, and reaches speeds of up to 70mph (112km/h). It is rated at level four out of five on Six Flags’ thrill scale.
This event comes shortly after Six Flags announced the closure of its X2 rollercoaster at a Southern California park last month. That decision followed allegations from more than 100 individuals claiming brain injuries related to the ride, despite the company asserting it had passed safety tests. Six Flags remains the largest amusement park operator in North America, managing 20 parks, 14 water parks, and nine resorts across the US, Canada, and Mexico.
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