Quote:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/20/us/texas-roller-coaster-death/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
(CNN) -- A woman died while riding a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, though the circumstances behind it remain unknown.

Six Flags confirmed that a woman died while riding the Texas Giant roller coaster Friday, but did not provide details further details.

"Since the safety of our guests and employees in our number one priority, the ride has been closed pending further investigation," the theme park said in a statement.

Park medical staff and local paramedics responded immediately to the scene, the park said.
Witness: Son was screaming 'Mom fell off'

Gabe Flores said he was next in line at the amusement park.

"Me and my girlfriend were at the gates and the next ones to get on the ride ... the cars came in and there was a man and a woman in the front," he said. "The man was saying, 'let me out, let me out, my mom fell off.' "

The man and woman were distraught and speaking in raised tones, said Flores, who lives in Benton, Texas.

"There's a turn that's pretty steep, and the person behind her empty seat said she fell out there—just flew out," he said.

Flores did not see her fall, but park visitors told CNN affiliate WFAA they did.

"She goes up like this," Carmen Brown told the affiliate, raising her hand up in the air. "Then when it drops to come down, that's when it released and she just tumbled."

Brown told the Dallas Morning News that the woman had expressed concern to a park employee that she was not properly secured in her seat.

"He was basically nonchalant," Brown said. "He was, like, 'As long as you heard it click, you're fine.' Hers was the only one that went down once, and she didn't feel safe. But they let her still get on the ride."

Six Flags Over Texas spokeswoman Sharon Parker said the park is committed to determining exactly what happened.

"It would be a disservice to the family to speculate regarding what transpired," she said. "When we have new information to provide, we will do so."

The Arlington Police Department did not immediately respond to a CNN request. The affiliate said police are investigating whether the woman suffered a medical emergency before the fall.

The Texas Giant was originally designed in 1990 as an all wooden roller coaster. It was redesigned with a steel track and reopened in April 2011 to mark the theme park's 50th anniversary.

At its highest point, the roller coaster is 153 feet and has a drop of 147 feet, according to the theme park.

Thousands of kids hurt yearly on amusement rides

Elsewhere, seven people suffered minor injuries in a boat-ride mishap at the Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio, park officials said.

The incident occurred Friday evening when a boat rolled backward down a lift hill on the Shoot the Rapids ride, park spokesman Bryan Edwards said in an e-mailed statement.

The seven people in the boat were evaluated and treated by Cedar Point emergency medical staff, Edwards said. One of the seven was taken to an area hospital for additional evaluation and was subsequently released, he said.

The ride will remain closed until Ohio park officials and inspectors review it.

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AlmostAsCoolAs said:

Do you feel any safer every day you drive in a car?

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gzuf said:

When I go on a rollercoaster I always yank at the straps and shit kinda hard basically to calm my own irrational fears but I guess on the off chance that shit isn't sturdy or put in right. All the places I've been to a dude comes down each side and gives your harness a little pull to make sure you're in alright. That sucks though, at least her family will get bank off Six Flags.

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millzy said:

i've ridden the texas giant. it was right after they first built it. pretty awesome. it's an older ride now though. i haven't been to six flags in over 20 years. i even live right by there now. i hope her family gets proper compensation.

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Johnny Depp said:

I never worry.  Those things are so safe.  It's irrational.  It's like getting paranoid about flying in an airline.  It's because people don't actually understand numbers.  Innumeracy.  From 1987 to 2000 there were an estimated 4.5 deaths from amusement park rides per year.  That's not very much considering how many people ride those every year.  I'd guess hundreds of millions.

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lil_demented said:

Maybe I heard the news cast wrong. Yup, it was 1990 for the ride opening.

It was the second person to die in the park since 1961 when it opened.

Mah bad. I'm high.

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tis all good broham

ShiVersblood said:

That employee killed her by not checking her seat after she expressed concern !

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Second Degree Murder.

Baby_Hitler said:

ShiVersblood said:

That employee killed her by not checking her seat after she expressed concern !

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Second Degree Murder.

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All We Perceive said:

This reminds me of my own tale of near death on one of those swinging pirate ships.  I was in the very back of the ship and at the ship's apex, I started falling out of the safety bar.  I could feel myself moving forward under the safety bar like I was going to fall and the guy next to me slammed his arm over my shoulders and saved me.  I must have been like 13 or so.  Scary as fuck and I've never ridden one since.

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