A man died and several others were injured after falling from the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia on Monday, according to authorities and multiple outlets. The incident occurred shortly before 4 p.m. in Cobb County, with the park temporarily closing similar attractions amid the investigation.
The incident unfolded at Six Flags Over Georgia in Austell, Georgia, where a man fell from the Goliath roller coaster, a ride that opened in 2006 and reaches 200 feet with a top speed of 70 mph. Witnesses reported the fall, and Cobb County Police confirmed the death, though the exact cause remains under investigation. Officers assigned to the park, along with uniformed patrol officers, responded to the scene,
the department said in a statement, adding that detectives are probing the circumstances.
Man Falls from Goliath Coaster
Video footage from the scene, shared by local outlets, shows riders being evacuated from the Goliath ride after it stopped near the top of the ride. A witness told WXIA that the man fell while on the ride, with his fall captured on a souvenir picture. The park’s statement noted that out of an abundance of caution, we have temporarily closed similar attractions across our parks,
though it did not specify which rides were affected.
Police have not confirmed the cause of the fall, but multiple reports cite eyewitness accounts of the man falling from the coaster. Six Flags stated that the safety of our guests and team members remains one of our highest priorities,
as investigators work to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Six Flags Closes Similar Rides
This follows news regarding Six Flags Magic Mountain in California, which announced it will permanently close its ride X2, following a CNN investigation. The park president, Brian Oerding, stated at the time that the decision was made because of safety tests and guest confidence.
Parks Nationwide Pause Rides
The incident has prompted immediate action beyond Georgia. ABC7 Chicago reported that the Raging Bull ride at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, was closed out of an abundance of caution
following the Georgia tragedy. Similar attractions at “sister” parks across the country were also temporarily shuttered.
Cobb County officials, including Mableton Mayor Michael Owens, released statements expressing condolences and confirming coordination with police and park security. We are grateful to the personnel responding to this incident and will continue to support coordination with the appropriate authorities,
Owens said.
Authorities have not yet released a timeline for the investigation, but the Cobb County Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit is responding to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. The park’s statement reiterated that it would not share further details out of respect for the family’s privacy.
For now, the focus remains on the victims and their families. We are deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park today,
the company said. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the guest’s family, friends, and loved ones.
What caused the fall remains unknown.
Ethan Brook News Editor