Man falls to his death from Austell Six Flags roller coaster

Police are investigating after an unnamed man died Monday at Six Flags Over Georgia in Austell. Detectives from the major crimes unit responded while visitors watched the fatal fall. Officials have not confirmed how the man died.

No information has been released about the condition of several others who were hurt. The venue sits about 15 miles northwest of Atlanta. Cobb County Police Department major crimes unit detectives are investigating the incident.

Authorities and park officials did not name the ride. Local television stations showed video of passengers evacuated from the Goliath roller coaster. Logan Conner said he was on the ride with his fiancée.

Conner said he saw the man come out of his seat. “The man started levitating in the air sideways,” Conner told NBC. “We made direct eye contact with him.”

Park visitor Britny Landry rode Goliath earlier Monday. She stood in line to go again and could see the track. “We just look, and I just see somebody fly out,” Landry told KTVU-TV.

Landry said she was not sure what she saw at first. She told the station that maybe somebody had a bag. Six Flags Entertainment Corporation temporarily closed nine roller coasters across six parks.

A company spokesperson said the closures were out of an abundance of caution. Staff members and local authorities responded immediately. The spokesperson said the park is cooperating with the inquiry.

“We are deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park today,” the spokesperson said. The company is providing support to impacted guests and staff. Police and park representatives did not immediately return messages seeking additional details Tuesday.

A message seeking comment went to the state Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner. The website for Six Flags Over Georgia lists Goliath with a 200-foot height. The coaster opened in 2006 and reaches 70 mph.

Riders navigate sharp turns during the three-and-a-half-minute trip. Cobb County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said next of kin were notified. The park brings visitors from across the Southeast.

“I cannot imagine the horror the patrons and employees witnessed today, and my heart aches for the family who lost a loved one,” Cupid said. “We are all grappling with how something so devastating could happen at a place that has given generations of families such happy memories.”

The death would be at least the seventh at the Georgia park. The Doan Law Firm tallies amusement park accidents. The firm noted a 2006 death from a likely heart attack on Goliath.

Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California recently announced the retirement of the X2 roller coaster. That move followed lawsuits alleging serious brain injuries. The park settled a wrongful-death suit involving a 22-year-old man who died in 2022.

Last year, a 32-year-old man died from blunt impact injuries in Florida. That death occurred on a roller coaster at Universal Epic Universe. Officials ruled that death accidental.

Theme parks operate under oversight from state inspection agencies and local emergency services. Amusement venues conduct internal mechanical reviews following serious passenger injuries. Police major crimes units handle scene documentation and interview witnesses.

Tourism officials consider the Austell venue a central economic driver for Cobb County.