Witnesses described horrific scenes as man dies at Six Flags over Georgia after falling from rollercoaster
Witnesses have described 'hearing a scream' in horrific scenes after a man died after falling from a rollercoaster at a theme park in the US.
The Goliath roller coaster - one of the largest rides at Six Flags over Georgia - was evacuated following the major incident at the park in Austell.
Riders in another carriage were left stuck at an incline as the evacuation attempts began at around 5pm local time on Monday (12 October).
Footage showed people being removed and walking off the ride, with people seen being helped down a stairway attached to the ride’s lift hill.
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A man, who was reported to have been visiting with his son, had been 'flung from the ride' with others also left injured, witnesses claimed.
In a statement shared with LADbible, a spokesperson from Six Flags Over Georgia said: "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. We are also providing support to the guests and team members affected.
"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."
Officials are yet to confirm how the man died and the cause of the accident is not yet known.
Now, witnesses on the ride have described the moment they heard 'screams' on the ride before the tragedy occurred, with the carriage stuck on the ride for around an hour.
Speaking to 11Alive, the visitor explained: "We were ascending up, and that is when we heard the screams. Then we looked down and saw people running and panicking.
"As soon as that happened, we got stuck. We didn't know if it was a problem with ours [carriage] or something else.
"That stopped and we were stuck up there for more than an hour. As we were going up, the carriage behind us, that has to be the one, because that's where everyone was running to.
"I am assuming they just stopped everything, and that's what got us stuck.
"We were all obviously concerned, we saw the ambulances come and everyone running over to our rollercoaster, but the worst part was just being up there for an hour with no updates, no news, nothing."
Another witness meanwhile told the news outlet: “A young Black male was ejected from the vehicle. The vehicle hit him, and then he flew back up again, and it hit him again.
"That’s when he was, I guess, flung from the ride."
A spokesperson for the Six Flags Entertainment Corporation told The Associated Press that rollercoasters similar to the one involved in the accident have been closed 'out of an abundance of caution' at a number of their parks.
The spokesperson also said that the park is cooperating with the investigation into the incident. “We are deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park today,” the spokesperson added.
Goliath, which opened back in 2006, takes park visitors on a 70-mile-per-hour ride and stretches up to 200 feet into the air, according to the Six Flags Over Georgia website.
Mableton Mayor Michael Owens released a statement following the tragedy, to say city officials were 'deeply saddened' by the incident.
"Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the individual’s family, friends, and loved ones during this difficult time," the statement continued.
"Mableton Public Safety Director Dr. Kerry Stallings is coordinating with Cobb County Police and park security as the situation is addressed. We are grateful to the personnel responding to this incident and will continue to support coordination with the appropriate authorities.
"Out of respect for the family and the ongoing investigation, we will refrain from commenting further at this time."
Topics: US News
James Holt