Tourismupdated 1h ago2 min read
Man Dies After Falling From Goliath Roller Coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia
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One person died, several injured after man fell from Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia. Cobb County Police investigating; park evacuated following the incident.
Goliath fall near Atlanta
A man died and several others were injured in an incident involving a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia in Cobb County, Georgia, shortly before 4 p.m. Monday.
Cobb County Police said officers assigned to the park and uniformed patrol officers responded, and detectives with the Major Crimes Unit were responding to investigate the circumstances.
Witnesses described seeing a man fall from the park's Goliath roller coaster and hit the ride several times, and riders were evacuated after the coaster stopped near the top of the ride.
Six Flags Over Georgia is located in Austell, west of Atlanta, and the Goliath roller coaster reaches an elevation of 200 feet and speeds up to 70 mph, according to the amusement park's website.
Six Flags spokesperson said the park team and local authorities responded immediately and that it was cooperating fully with local authorities as they complete their investigation.
Investigation and witness accounts
Cobb County Police Department said it was investigating the fatality at the park about 15 miles (24km) from Atlanta, and officials did not specify what ride was involved. Aerial footage from news helicopters showed the Goliath roller coaster stuck on the railway, with riders being helped off by workers, and officials have not said how the person was killed. A witness told NBC affiliate WXIA that the man fell and hit the car three different times, and another witness said the man started levitating in the air sideways.
Mableton Mayor Michael Owens said the city's public safety director was co-ordinating with local police and park security on the situation. Six Flags said it was deeply saddened by the guest incident and added that it would not release additional information at this time out of respect for the family's privacy.
Tourism, closures, and scrutiny
Six Flags said it temporarily closed similar attractions across its parks, including California's Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain, and it also said it would not release additional information out of respect for the family's privacy. Lisa Cupid, chair of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners, said the amusement park is a major part of the county's tourism and brings in visitors from across the southeast. Cupid said, "We are all grappling with how something so devastating could happen at a place that has given generations of families such happy memories," and she added that next of kin have been notified.
The incident came as Six Flags faced scrutiny after its Southern California park announced it would close the popular X2 roller coaster, with Six Flags saying the ride had passed a range of safety tests but it decided to retire it because it was "the right thing to do." Six Flags shares fell after-hours following reports of the deadly roller coaster incident, with CNBC saying the stock plunged more than 10% after the regular session closed 4.5% higher.