A dad who fell to his death from a roller coaster briefly levitated off his seat and made eye-contact with other riders who ended up covered in his blood as he plunged off the ride and landed atop a haunted house.
asserted
he → fall → house
The victim was killed at Six Flags Over Georgia in suburban Atlanta on Monday while riding the Goliath roller coaster at the theme park.
asserted
victim → kill → park
Images circulating social media showed the victim falling head first over other riders and out of the rollercoaster, as families and small children recoiled in horror.
asserted
families → circulate → horror
Officials said first responders were called to the scene at around 4pm local time, and an investigation has been launched into how the man fell to his death.
asserted
man → say → death
Witnesses told WXIA that they saw the man suddenly plummeting from the roller coaster, and said he struck parts of the ride multiple times as he fell to the ground.
asserted
he → tell → ground
'The man started levitating in the air sideways,' witness Logan Conner said.
asserted
Conner → start → air
'We made direct eye contact with him.'
asserted
We → make → him
The Goliath rollercoaster reaches top speeds of 70mph and climbs over 200 feet in the air.
asserted
rollercoaster → reach → air
The ride has now been temporarily closed, Six Flags said.
asserted
Flags → close → ?
Officials said the victim was riding with his son when he died, and other riders said the man's blood 'splattered over everybody' at the moment he collided with the high-speed rollercoaster.
asserted
he → say → rollercoaster
A father who tragically fell to his death from a rollercoaster at Six Flags Over Georgia flew over other riders and landed on a haunted house during the fatal fall, witnesses say
The victim died and several others were injured during an incident on the 200-foot-tall Goliath rollercoaster (above) 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.
asserted
woman → fall → 11Alive
Unverified images circulating online are said to show the man's final moments caught by the coaster camera.
uncertain
images → circulate → camera
That witness said the man hit the rollercoaster at least three times during his fall, and said he 'fell behind one of the haunted attractions' at the Six Flags resort for Halloween.
asserted
he → say → Halloween
One rider said the victim fell at the moment that the rollercoaster was 'ascending up,' and immediately others 'heard a scream.
asserted
others → say → scream
'We looked down, and we see people running and panicking,' he said.
asserted
he → look → ?
'So as soon as that happened, as we're ascending, we got stuck, and we didn't know if it was a problem with ours or something else; maybe it was something else, but that was before we heard the news that everyone else has heard.'
asserted
everyone → happen → that
Another witness described the moment the rollercoaster struck the victim as: 'The ride hit him, and then he flew back up again, and it hit him again, and then that's when he was, I guess, flung from the ride.'
asserted
I → describe → ride
'It went from having a great time to just screaming, 'Oh my God, what is happening,'' he added.
asserted
he → go → time
'You don't see things like this happen.
asserted
things → see → this
It should never happen.
asserted
It → happen → ?
Riders were left 'screaming' on the towering rollercoaster 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.
asserted
We → leave → park
Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the guest’s family, friends, and loved ones.'
asserted
thoughts → love → family
'The park team and local authorities responded immediately, and we are cooperating fully with local authorities as they complete their investigation.'
asserted
they → respond → 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.
asserted
it → say → caution
'
'The safety of our guests and team members remains one of our highest priorities,' the statement read.
asserted
statement → remain → priorities
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.
asserted
next → call → 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.
'
asserted
who → imagine → Flags
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.
uncertain
Cupid → grapple → memories
It remains unclear what may have caused the tragedy.
uncertain
what → remain → 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.
asserted
it → manufacture → Georgia
During about 3 1/2 minutes, riders 'navigate through razor-sharp turns and soar over colossal hills,' the website says.
asserted
website → navigate → hills
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.
asserted
it → come → 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
asserted
Guillen → announce → 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.
asserted
lawsuits → settle → injuries
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.
asserted
who → close → 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.
asserted
She → collapse → 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.
asserted
they → file → years
Another woman, 40-year-old Pamela Guillen, suffered severe brain hemorrhages after riding the X2 at Six Flags in Valencia, California.
asserted
woman → suffer → Valencia
Her daughter, Camille Marquez, told CNN: 'We got off the cart and we saw my mom.
asserted
we → tell → mom
She looked lifeless.
asserted
She → look → ?
…and 1 more, not listed.