Six Flags Accidents

Each year as thousands of guests enjoy different theme park getaways, accidents are inevitable and many potential guests are distraught to hear of Six Flags accidents in particular.

Worn cables snapped and severed a girl's feet at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom in June 2007.

About Six Flags

The Six Flags Corporation owns and operates the largest chain of amusement parks in the world, with more than 20 different locations including amusement parks and water parks. With this many parks, Six Flags also has the greatest number of rides of any amusement park chain, which naturally leads to a greater number of accidents, just as larger cities have a greater number of crimes due to larger populations. Nevertheless, the Six Flags parks have impeccable safety records when compared to the millions of guests who visit the parks each season.

Even the best safety precautions and emergency procedures, however, are not always foolproof. In today’s highly connected society, cell phones, instant messages, video sharing websites, and other tools can instantly spread the word about even small accidents and ride malfunctions. Whenever the name “Six Flags” appears in accident stories, it immediately generates interest because of the parks’ popularity and familiarity with so many theme park guests.

Recent Six Flags Accidents

In the past few years, there have been a number of notable accidents involving Six Flags parks, some of which have resulted in injuries or severe changes to the involved rides.

Recent Six Flags accidents, as of October 2007, include:

• August 3, 2007: A 6-year-old girl fell from a spinning Octopus ride at Six Flags America in Maryland and sustained minor injuries. Witnesses and park employees claim the girl stood up while the ride was in motion.
• June 21, 2007: At Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, a 13-year-old girl had her feet severed above the ankle while riding Superman: Tower of Power when a steel cable snapped and wrapped around her feet. Her right foot was reattached but the left was too traumatized. Similar rides at all Six Flags and Cedar Fair parks were closed for inspection.
• July 28, 2006: A 45-year-old man died after riding the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia in Atlanta. An autopsy determined that he had a heart attack caused by a pre-exisiting medical condition.
• May 13, 2006: Riders were stranded on Superman: Ride of Steel at Six Flags America for up to an hour after the coaster’s safety system detected that the trains were not properly stopped in the station. No one was injured.
• March 12, 2006: The Texas Tornado swing ride at Six Flags Over Texas malfunctioned, and both the ride operator and the ride’s automatic safety systems engaged the emergency stop. Eight riders suffered minor injuries.
• July 18, 2005: A 5-year-old boy suffered a near drowning at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Valencia, California. Lifeguards revived the boy and he was taken to a hospital as a precaution.
• May 1, 2004: A 55-year-old man was killed when he fell from the Superman: Ride of Steel roller coaster at Six Flags New England. Investigations determined that because of the man’s large girth he was not properly secured by the ride’s restraint system, and the coaster was then outfitted with redesigned safety restraints. Similar coasters at other parks also incorporated the new safety restraints.
• October 19, 2003: Seven people at Six Flags Astroworld in Houston were treated and released from a local hospital after a 2x6 board fell into the middle of a Texas Cyclone coaster train while the ride was running.
• July 25, 2003: Twenty riders were suspended upside down for twenty minutes when the Batman the Ride roller coaster failed to complete an inversion at Six Flags Great America. The train was moved to a section of track where the riders could safely exit and there were no injuries.
• July 10, 2003: A 53-year-old woman was struck and killed by the Joker’s Jukebox ride at Six Flags New Orleans. Witnesses reported that she had been checking the seatbelt of a young child, presumably her grandson.
• May 3, 2003: An 11-year-old girl died after riding the Raging Bull roller coaster at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. The initial cause of death was listed as choking on a piece of gum, but later investigations revealed that the girl had a pre-existing heart condition.

Avoiding Accidents

Emergency crews are always available.

While it may seem as though there are many severe Six Flags accidents, it is clear from investigations that many of the most tragic incidents are not caused by the parks or the rides. In fact, many accidents are caused by riders’ own behavior, whether they are assuming the risk of riding turbulent rides with poor health or if they engage in poor behavior around fast-moving rides. If park guests follow the appropriate roller coaster safety tips and other common sense precautions, many accidents can be avoided.

It is also a credit to the emergency training of park employees that more Six Flags accidents do not result in graver injuries than the minor scrapes and bruises that most unexpected incidents can cause. Not only are ride employees trained in emergency procedures, but the parks also staff emergency medical personnel in case of large scale accidents.

Park guests have no reason to fear Six Flags accidents. While emergencies do occur and can have tragic consequences, the Six Flags parks are well-equipped to deal with incidents in safe and effective ways, thereby minimizing the risks guests may face as they enjoy their visit to a world class park.

• Aquatica Water Park
• Where Are All the Disney Theme Parks Located
• Kings Island Theme Park
• Disney Theme Parks History

• Printable Online Cedar Point Coupons
• Schlitterbahn Coupons
• Build Your Own Roller Coaster
• Discount Sea World Tickets
• Cedar Point Amusement Park

• Great America Six Flags, Illinois
• Six Flags, MA
• Six Flags Fiesta Texas Roller Coasters
• Six Flags Great Adventure, NJ
• Six Flags Chicago