One person has died and several others have been injured following an incident involving a rollercoaster at Six Flags Over Georgia amusement park near Atlanta, authorities say.
The Cobb County Police Department confirmed that it was investigating the fatality at the park, located about 15 miles (24km) from Atlanta, according to CBS, the BBC’s US news partner. Authorities have not identified the ride involved or explained how the person died. However, aerial footage from news helicopters showed the Goliath rollercoaster stopped midway along its track as park workers helped riders get off.
Witnesses told local media that a man had been thrown from the ride, although the BBC said it had not independently verified those accounts. Local television station 11Alive quoted a witness who claimed the man fell onto the roof of a haunted house attraction. The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.
In a statement, Six Flags Over Georgia said it was “deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park today”, adding that its thoughts and condolences were with the victim’s family and loved ones. A park spokesperson said staff and local authorities responded immediately and were cooperating with the investigation.
Mableton Mayor Michael Owens also said the city’s public safety director was coordinating with local police and park security.
Goliath Rollercoaster Under Scrutiny
The Goliath rollercoaster opened in 2006 and is one of the park’s major thrill rides. According to the park’s website, it reaches a height of 200 feet (60 metres), features a 170-foot plunge and a 540-degree spiral, and can reach speeds of 70mph (112km/h). Six Flags rates the ride four out of five on its thrill scale.
The incident comes weeks after another Six Flags park in Southern California announced plans to retire its X2 rollercoaster following claims by more than 100 people that they had suffered brain injuries from riding it. Six Flags previously said X2 had passed a range of safety tests but decided to retire the attraction, describing the decision as “the right thing to do”.
Six Flags is the largest amusement park operator in North America, with parks and resorts across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Authorities have not yet released further details about the Georgia incident, including the identities of those involved or the circumstances that led to the fatality.
