Visiting an amusement park with your friends and family can be an excellent way to spend an afternoon. Six Flags amusement and water parks are particularly popular with people in North America, as the franchise currently has twenty-seven locations across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
For the most part, modern amusement parks are fairly safe places to visit or work at. Theme parks must adhere to federal, state, and local laws and regulations meant to make the venue as safe as possible for everyone in it. In some cases, amusement parks that violate safety regulations may be subject to fines or punitive actions from agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Usually, routine inspections and the threat of fines or legal actions are sufficient to keep theme parks compliant with reasonable safety standards.
However, there have nonetheless been multiple serious incidents at Six Flags parks over the years. Since the first Six Flags theme park formally opened in 1961, there have been sixty-one deaths at parks currently or previously managed by the franchise. In this article, we explore the history and accident records of the five most dangerous Six Flags parks.
How Many Deaths Have Occurred At the Five Most Dangerous Six Flags Parks?
The five most dangerous Six Flags parks have accounted for 36 deaths, or approximately 59% of all fatalities involving one of the franchise’s locations. Six Flags Great Adventure is the deadliest franchise park by a significant margin, with thirteen deaths occurring over nearly five decades of operation. The franchise’s oldest park, Six Flags Over Texas, is also one of the locations on our list, with five fatalities occurring since 1961. A breakdown of deaths by the individual park is included in the chart below.
Which Six Flags Park Has Had the Most Deadly Accidents?
In the previous section, we explored the total number of deaths occurring at each of the five most dangerous Six Flags parks. In the chart below, we break down the total number of accidents resulting in at least one fatality for the same set of Six Flags amusement parks. For four of the five parks, the number of fatal accidents matches the total number of deaths. Six Flags Great Adventure is the exception, in that six fatal events resulted in a total of thirteen deaths.
What Circumstances Led Up to a Theme Park’s Fatal Accidents?
Fatal accidents can occur at a theme park in a number of ways. Exposure to the elements, heatstroke, pre-existing medical conditions, and falls are some of the most common causes of fatal harm at amusement parks. Incidents are particularly likely to occur when park employees or visitors do not follow posted rules or regulations. Particularly when working on, walking around, or riding roller coasters and other attractions, it’s essential to follow posted and verbal commands to protect yourself and other parkgoers.
Accidents at Six Flags Great Adventure
Six Flags Great Adventure is a lovely attraction in Jackson, New Jersey. The park first opened in 1974 under the name “Great Adventure.” The park was designed by businessman Warner LeRoy, who envisioned a total of seven parks built as one interconnected venue. In 1977, the theme park was acquired by the Six Flags franchise. Many years later, Six Flags combined their Wild Safari animal park with Great Adventure to create the newly-titled Six Flags Great Adventure & Safari park. This combination of parks made Great Adventure the second-largest theme park in the world.
Watch this to learn more about Six Flags Great Adventure:
To date, thirteen deaths have occurred at Great Adventure over the years. A chronological order of fatal events at the park is as follows:
Attraction: Skyride
Date of Incident: August 16th, 1977
Cause of Death: Crushing
Incident: A mechanic was killed while attempting to repair the attraction. A defective part suddenly began operating while the mechanic was working, causing him to get trapped within the mechanism.
Attraction: Rolling Thunder
Date of Incident: August 16th, 1981
Cause of Death: Fall
Incident: A 20-year-old park employee fell to his death during a test ride of Rolling Thunder. The ride was closed as investigators attempted to determine the cause of the accident. Investigators and park officials concluded that the ride was performing correctly and the victim may not have used the attraction’s restraints correctly.
Attraction: Rolling Thunder
Date of Incident: August 29th, 1981
Cause of Death: Choking
Incident: Within two weeks of the previous accident on Rolling Thunder, a woman choked to death on the rollercoaster.
Attraction: Haunted Castle
Date of Incident: May 11th, 1984
Cause of Death: Smoke inhalation / asphyxiation
Incident: The Haunted Castle attraction burned down in its entirety with an estimated twenty-nine people inside. Although most of the people in the attraction were able to escape, eight teenage victims became disoriented and could not find a way out to safety. The fire may have been caused by a person using a lighter to guide their path through the attraction after a lightbulb burned out.
Attraction: Lightnin’ Loops
Date of Incident: June 17th, 1987
Cause of Death: Fall
Incident: A woman suffered a fatal fall when the roller coaster was launched before park employees verified that all passengers were securely strapped in. An investigation concluded that the victim could have been saved if employees had followed the ride’s standard operating protocols.
Attraction: None (the accident occurred on park premises)
Date of Incident: September 1st, 2017
Cause of Death: Struck by vehicle
Incident: An employee was fatally struck by a lift truck while hanging lights.
Accidents at Six Flags Magic Mountain
Six Flags Magic Mountain, known more often as simply “Magic Mountain,” is a theme park in Valencia, California. The development was originally opened by Sea World Inc. and the Newhall Land and Farming Company in 1971. In 1979, the park was officially acquired by Six Flags. Magic Mountain currently holds the record for the most roller coasters in an amusement park, at 20.
Watch this video to get a glimpse of this park:
To date, seven deaths have occurred at Magic Mountain over the years. A chronological order of fatal events at the park is as follows:
Attraction: Eagle’s Flight
Date of Incident: February 5th, 1978
Cause of Death: Fall
Incident: One person died and another suffered catastrophic injuries when the sky bucket they were in detached from its cable and plummeted fifty feet to the ground.
Attraction: Colossus
Date of Incident: December 26th, 1978
Cause of Death: Fall
Incident: A woman fell to her death from Colossus as the coaster plunged downwards. The ride was subsequently closed for a year for safety adjustments.
Attraction: Revolution
Date of Incident: May 30th, 1996
Cause of Death: Blunt force trauma
Incident: A Six Flags employee stepped in front of the Revolution roller coaster as the train started up on its next cycle. She lost her balance and fell into a pit below the ride, suffering fatal injuries.
Attraction: Goliath
Date of Incident: June 2nd, 2002
Cause of Death: Brain aneurysm
Incident: A woman suffered a brain aneurysm on Goliath. An autopsy indicated that the victim’s medical condition pre-existed her getting on the ride, but stress from the roller coaster may have contributed to her death.
Attraction: Scream
Date of Incident: April 9th, 2004
Cause of Death: Blunt force trauma
Incident: A park employee was fatally struck by the Scream roller coaster.
Attraction: Ninja
Date of Incident: August 30th, 2008
Cause of Death: Blunt force trauma
Incident: A man climbed two security fences and went under the Ninja roller coaster in an attempt to retrieve a lost hat. He was fatally struck by the ride’s train.
Attraction: Revolution
Date of Incident: June 13th, 2015
Cause of Death: Natural causes
Incident: A girl was located unconscious, however, she was breathing after riding Revolution. She succumbed to her injury the following day.
Accidents at Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia is the second theme park in the franchise. It is one of three Six Flags parks founded by Argus Wynne. Along with other parks under Six Flags management, this venue features themes and attractions from the Warner Bros. Entertainment Library, including the DC Universe.
Watch this video to get a glimpse of Six Flags Over Georgia:
To date, six deaths have occurred at Six Flags Over Georgia over the years. A chronological order of fatal events at the park is as follows:
Attraction: Z-Force
Date of Incident: July 18th, 1989
Cause of Death: Undetermined
Incident: A young boy passed away after riding on Z-Force. According to eyewitness reports, it looks as if he may have had a seizure.
Attraction: Batman: The Ride
Date of Incident: May 26th, 2002
Cause of Death: Head injury
Incident: A park employee was walking below the roller coaster in a closed-access area when he was struck in the head by the leg of one of the attraction’s passengers. The man suffered a fatal head wound and the passenger was hospitalized with minor leg injuries.
Attraction: Goliath
Date of Incident: July 27th, 2006
Cause of Death: Possible heart attack
Incident: A man passed away after suffering an apparent heart attack on the Goliath roller coaster.
Attraction: Batman: The Ride
Date of Incident: June 28th, 2008
Cause of Death: Decapitation
Incident: Two men jumped over a pair of security fences and got underneath the roller coaster. One of the men was struck and decapitated by the coaster’s cars.
Attraction: Hurricane Harbor
Date of Incident: May 29th, 2014 (initial injury), July 18th, 2014 (death)
Cause of Death: Blood clot / bacterial infection
Incident: On opening day at Hurricane Harbor, a girl became ill after using the wave pool. Witnesses indicate that the area smelled strongly of chlorine. After months of experiencing difficulty breathing, the victim passed away from an undetected blood clot in the lungs.
Attraction: None (parking lot)
Date of Incident: March 6th, 2021
Cause of Death: Struck by car
Incident: A two-year old boy was fatally struck by a family member’s car in the parking lot.
Accidents at Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America is an amazing action-filled park in Gurnee, Illinois. Initially opened as Marriott’s Great America in 1976, the park failed to meet the hospitality giant’s revenue expectations and was sold to Six Flags in 1984. Attractions within the park are themed around the concept of places in North America, from the French Quarter to the Wild West. With fifteen roller coasters, the park has the fourth-most coasters of any park in the world.
Watch this video to get a glimpse:
To date, five deaths have occurred at Great America over the years. A chronological order of fatal events at the park is as follows:
Attraction: Raging Bull
Date of Incident: May 3rd, 2003
Cause of Death: Pre-existing heart condition
Incident: An 11-year-old girl collapsed after riding Raging Bull and later passed away. Initially, it was suspected that she had choked on chewing gum but the cause of death was later determined to be a pre-existing heart condition.
Attraction: Ragin’ Cajun
Date of Incident: May 29th, 2004
Cause of Death: Traumatic head injury
Incident: A Six Flags mechanic was struck in the head when he attempted to cross in front of a speeding roller coaster car. The victim was initially placed on life support but care was ended at the family’s request due to the low chances of a favorable outcome.
Attraction: Sprocket Rockets
Date of Incident: August 16th, 2006
Cause of Death: Pre-existing heart condition
Incident: A 10-year-old victim perished from a known heart condition after getting off of the Sprocket Pockets ride.
Attraction: Splashwater Falls
Date of Incident: March 11th, 2008
Cause of Death: Fall
Incident: As the ride was being demolished, an employee suffered a fatal fall from the structure. The victim fell approximately forty feet, hitting parts of the structure on the way down and suffering fatal chest and head trauma.
Attraction: Superman: Ultimate Flight
Date of Incident: September 9th, 2017
Cause of Death: Natural causes
Incident: A man complained of illness upon exiting the ride and subsequently collapsed. Despite being rushed to a hospital, he succumbed to what was declared a “natural death.”
Accidents at Six Flags Over Texas
Six Flags Over Texas is the first amusement park opened as a part of the franchise. The park’s founder, Angus Wynne Jr., visited Disneyland shortly after its opening and decided that his home state of Texas needed such a venue as well. Planning for the park began in 1959 and the park officially opened for a short season in 1961.
Watch this video to get a glimpse of Six Flags Over Texas:
To date, five deaths have occurred at Six Flags Over Texas over the years. A chronological order of fatal events at the park is as follows:
Attraction: El Sombrero
Date of Incident: August 8th, 1968
Cause of Death: Fall into machinery
Incident: A park employee lost his balance and fell into a machinery pit below the ride, where he suffered fatal injuries to his head and face.
Attraction: Roaring Rapids
Date of Incident: March 21st, 1999
Cause of Death: Drowning
Incident: Due to defective parts, a raft suddenly deflated and overturned, spilling riders into the water. One park visitor drowned and ten others suffered injuries in the accident.
Attraction: Hurricane Harbor
Date of Incident: September 5th, 2011
Cause of Death: Drowning
Incident: A woman was found unresponsive in the lazy river. Despite rescue attempts by park employees and paramedics, she could not be saved.
Attraction: New Texas Giant
Date of Incident: July 19th, 2013
Cause of Death: Traumatic injuries
Incident: A woman fell approximately 75 feet to her death from the New Texas Giant. Eyewitnesses indicate that the woman expressed fear about not being properly secured before the fatal fall.
Attraction: Hurricane Harbor
Date of Incident: June 23rd, 2021
Cause of Death: Gunshot
Incident: A brawl in the Hurricane Harbor parking lot led to a shooting. One victim was fatally shot a single time in the incident.
Staying Safe During Your Next Trip to a Six Flags Park
Although amusement parks should always be safe environments for visitors to enjoy themselves, taking proactive steps to guarantee your own safety is always a good idea. The next time you find yourself at a Six Flags park, be sure to:
- Follow posted signs and verbal commands of park employees
- Stay off your phone while on rides or while walking in heavily trafficked areas
- Know where to meet members of your group if you’re separated
- Stay hydrated and wear sunscreen
We hope you enjoy a safe trip the next time you choose to visit an amusement park. Be sure to follow the rules carefully and never go on any attraction or ride that makes you uncomfortable.
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