One person has died and several others were injured following an incident on a rollercoaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, an amusement park located approximately 15 miles (24 kilometres) from Atlanta.
The Cobb County Police Department confirmed it is investigating the fatality. Authorities have not disclosed how the person died, how the other riders were injured, or the identity of the deceased.
Aerial footage from news helicopters showed the Goliath rollercoaster stopped midway along its track, with workers helping riders off the ride. Police did not officially specify which ride was involved.
Witnesses told local media they saw a man ejected from the ride, though that account has not been officially confirmed by authorities.
One witness, quoted by local outlet 11 Alive, said the man had come loose from his seat, struck the rollercoaster and some fellow riders, and then fell onto the roof of a nearby haunted house attraction. The witness added that the incident was captured in souvenir photos automatically taken of the ride while it was in motion.
A husband and wife also told 11 Alive that the man had been ejected from the rollercoaster and struck it afterwards. The couple said park workers had checked their safety harnesses before the ride departed.
Six Flags Over Georgia said it was "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." A park spokesperson added that its team and local authorities had responded immediately and were cooperating on an investigation.
Mableton Mayor Michael Owens said the city's public safety director was coordinating with local police and park security.
The Goliath rollercoaster opened in 2006. According to the park's website, it reaches a height of 200 feet (60 metres), features a 170-foot plunge and a 540-degree spiral, and travels at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour (112 kilometres per hour). Six Flags rates Goliath at level four out of five on its thrill scale.
Following the incident, Six Flags said it had temporarily closed similar attractions across its other parks "out of an abundance of caution."
Six Flags is the largest amusement park operator in North America, operating 20 amusement parks, 14 water parks, and nine resorts across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The Georgia fatality comes weeks after a Six Flags park in southern California announced it would permanently close its X2 rollercoaster following allegations of brain injuries from more than 100 riders. Six Flags said the ride had passed a range of safety tests but that retiring the attraction was "the right thing to do."