A man riding Georgia’s tallest rollercoaster with his son died after he fell out of his seat while his wife and daughter watched in horror from below.
The park-goer had been riding the Goliath rollercoaster at Six Flags Over Georgia at 3.58pm on Monday when he tumbled out of his seat and slammed against the ride several times before falling onto the roof of a haunted house attraction below.
Several others were injured in the ordeal, though it is unclear how many were hurt and what the extent of their injuries was.
Officials evacuated the theme park in the aftermath.
Horrified witnesses told 11 Alive how the tragedy unfolded before them.
One person told the outlet that the falling man was captured on their souvenir picture. They recalled how he smashed into the car several times after falling from the ride.
Another woman described how the man was on the ride with his son, while his wife and daughter were watching from the ground when the tragedy occurred.
‘We were having a great time and to just screaming “Oh my God, what is happening?”‘ the woman said.
A third person claimed on Reddit he was next in line to get on the rollercoaster when the train that the man was on returned to the station.
‘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 Redditor posted, calling the experience ‘very sad and surreal.’
Riders were seen being evacuated from the Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia following a man’s death on Monday
Six Flags officials said they have temporarily shut down similar rollercoasters at their other theme parks throughout the country. The Goliath is pictured
The man was riding the Goliath rollercoaster (pictured on Monday night just hours after the fatal incident) with his son while his wife and daughter watched from below
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 a steep incline in the middle of the ride when it was shut down following the man’s death, according to footage shared on social media.
In a statement, a Six Flags spokesperson said park officials ‘are deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park today.
‘Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the guest’s family, friends and loved ones,’ the spokesperson said, noting: ‘We are also providing support to the guests and team members affected.’
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.
The theme park was shut down in the aftermath of the tragedy as law enforcement rushed to the scene
‘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 Stallings 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.’
Cobb County Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid also called it a ‘terrible tragedy’ as she announced that the man’s next of kin have been notified about his untimely passing.
‘I cannot imagine the horror the patrons and employees witnessed today and my heart aches for the family who lost a loved one,’ she said, asking the public to ‘please keep in your thoughts the family of the deceased, those who were injured, the employees and leadership of Six Flags and our community.
‘We are all grappling with how something so devastating could happen at a place that has given generations of families such happy memories,’ Cupid said.
The Goliath, which was manufactured by Switzerland-based Bolliger & Mabillard, opened at the park in 2006. It reaches speeds of 70mph with an elevation of 200 feet
It remains unclear what may have caused the tragedy.
The Goliath, which was manufactured by Switzerland-based Bolliger & Mabillard, opened at the park in 2006. It reaches speeds of 70mph with an elevation of 200 feet.
Six Flags has now closed similar rides throughout the country as the investigation continues.
‘Out of an abundance of caution we have temporarily closed similar attractions across our parks,’ park officials said in a statement.
‘The safety of our guests and team members remains one of our highest priorities.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to Six Flags Over Georgia for more information.
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
Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, 25, seen left, collapsed after the ride and had massive brain bleeding, while Pamela Guillen, 40, seen right suffered severe brain hemorrhages after riding the X2
The tragedy on Monday 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 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.
Another woman, 40-year-old Pamela Guillen, suffered severe brain hemorrhages after riding the X2 at Six Flags in Valencia, California.
Her daughter, Camille Marquez, told CNN: ‘We got off the cart and we saw my mom. She looked lifeless. Not a thought behind her eyes, nothing.’
More lawsuits would be filed in the coming weeks, the lawyers then vowed.
