A father who fell to his death from a roller coaster briefly appeared to lift out of his seat before making eye contact with fellow riders. Witnesses said other passengers were struck by his blood as he plunged from the ride and landed on the roof of a haunted house.
The man was killed on Monday at Six Flags Over Georgia in suburban Atlanta while riding the Goliath roller coaster.
Images shared on social media appeared to show the victim falling headfirst over other passengers and out of the roller coaster as families and young children reacted in horror.
First responders were called to the theme park at about 4 p.m. local time. Authorities have since launched an investigation into how the man fell from the ride.
Witnesses told WXIA that the man suddenly plunged from the roller coaster and struck parts of the attraction several times before reaching the ground.
“The man started levitating in the air sideways,” witness Logan Conner said. “We made direct eye contact with him.”
Goliath reaches speeds of up to 70 mph and climbs more than 200 feet above the ground. Six Flags said the ride has been temporarily closed while the incident is investigated.
Officials said the victim had been riding with his son. Other passengers told reporters that his blood “splattered over everybody” when he collided with the high-speed attraction.
A father who fell to his death from a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia flew over other riders and landed on a haunted house during the fatal incident, witnesses said
The victim died and several other people were injured during an incident involving the 200-foot-tall Goliath roller coaster, pictured, at the theme park in Cobb County, Georgia, on Monday
“He hit a girl two rows in front of us on the Goliath ride, right where the pictures are taken,” one woman told 11Alive.
Unverified images circulating online were reportedly captured by the roller coaster’s camera and are said to show the man’s final moments.
The witness said the man struck the ride at least three times during the fall before landing behind one of the haunted attractions at the Six Flags park, which was hosting Halloween events.
Another rider said the victim fell from his seat shortly after the roller coaster began “ascending up.” A scream followed as the man plunged toward the ground.
“We looked down, and we saw people running and panicking,” the rider said.
“So as soon as that happened, as we were ascending, we got stuck, and we didn’t know if it was a problem with our ride or something else. Maybe it was something else, but that was before we heard the news that everyone else has heard.”
Another witness described the moment the roller coaster struck the victim, saying: “The ride hit him, and then he flew back up again. It hit him again, and that’s when he was, I guess, flung from the ride.”
“It went from having a great time to just screaming, ‘Oh my God, what is happening?’” the witness added.
“You don’t see things like this happen. It should never happen.”
Riders were left screaming aboard the towering roller coaster after the man fell to his death
Witnesses said the victim fell on a haunted house exhibition at the Six Flags resort for Halloween
The Goliath rollercoaster reaches top speeds of 70mph and climbs over 200 feet in the air, making it the tallest rollercoaster in Georgia
Following the tragedy, a Six Flags spokesperson said in a statement: ‘We 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.’
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‘The park team and local authorities responded immediately, and we are cooperating fully with local authorities as they complete their investigation.’
The spokesperson said the park was providing support for anyone affected, and would not be immediately commenting further ‘out of respect for the family’s privacy.’
In a separate statement, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation said it has also closed similar rides at other parks ‘out of an abundance of caution.’
‘The safety of our guests and team members remains one of our highest priorities,’ the statement read.
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.
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, and its 200-foot top altitude makes it the tallest rollercoaster in Georgia.
During about 3 1/2 minutes, riders ‘navigate through razor-sharp turns and soar over colossal hills,’ the website says.
It comes just one month after Six Flags Magic Mountain in California announced it was demolishing its notorious X2 rollercoaster, following a series of lawsuits alleging it had caused severe injuries to riders.
Six Flags Magic Mountain in California announced last month it was demolishing its notorious X2 rollercoaster following a series of lawsuits alleging it had caused severe injuries to riders
Christopher Hawley (center), 22, died after riding the X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Mountain Magic with his brother and cousin in 2022
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 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.