One person dies after falling off Georgia’s biggest roller coaster at Six Flags as theme park is evacuated

A parkgoer at Six Flags Over Georgia died on Monday while riding the state’s tallest rollercoaster, prompting officials to evacuate the theme park.

The man died after falling off the Goliath rollercoaster and hitting against the ride several times, witnesses told 11 Alive. 

One witness told Cody Alcorn that the falling man was captured on their souvenir picture.

‘He fell and hit the car three different times,’ the witness described.

Another person on Reddit also claimed he was next in line to get on the rollercoaster following the tragedy.

‘The train pulled into the station, all the riders were distressed and a man who was sitting next to [the person who was died] was screaming that whoever was sitting next to him fell out,’ the Redditor posted, calling the experience ‘very sad and surreal.’

Meanwhile, people on the rollercoaster were seen being evacuated four at a time as workers tried to get the riders out of the cars and onto an adjacent stairway.

They had been stuck on an incline in the middle of the ride when it was shut down, according to footage shared on social media.

Riders were seen being evacuated from the Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia following a man’s death on Monday

Theme park officials said team members and local authorities responded to the scene immediately after a man fell off Goliath. The theme park is pictured here 

‘We are deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park today,’ a Six Flags spokesperson told Entertainment Weekly. ‘Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the guest’s family, friends and loved ones.’

‘We are also providing support to the guests and team members affected,’ the spokesperson noted. 

He added that ‘the park team and local authorities responded immediately, and we are cooperating fully with local authorities as they complete their investigation.

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

Mableton Mayor Michael Owens also 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,’ he said in a statement, noting that Mableton Public Safety Director Dr Kerry Stalling was working with Cobb County police and park security to address 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.’ 

It remains unclear what may have caused the tragedy.

Christopher Hawley (center), 22, died after riding the X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Mountain Magic with his brother and cousin in 2022

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. 

The Daily Mail 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.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.