Carowinds closes two roller coasters after man falls to death at Six Flags park
Two roller coasters at Carowinds are closed following a fatal incident at a Georgia park owned by parent company Six Flags based in Charlotte, according to several national news outlets.
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A man while riding Goliath roller Coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia died Oct. 12, 2026, when he fell from the 200-foot-tall Goliath roller coaster. Four other people were injured. The incident is under investigation.
Six Flags closed nine coasters, including Fury 325 and Thunder Striker at Carowinds, following the incident. All nine of the coasters are designed and built by Bolliger & Mabillard, the same company that made Goliath. The Swiss company was founded in 1988.
Carowinds and Six Flags have not responded to requests for comment Tuesday.
Carowinds is closed Tuesday as part of its seasonal schedule, with operating hours Thursday through Sunday this month. The park will be open 6 p.m. to midnight on Thursday for its annual Halloween-themed event, SCarowinds.
Fury 325 is the signature attraction at Carowinds, named by industry publication Amusement. It was named the world’s best steel roller coaster last month for a record 10th straight year. The ride’s name comes from its height at 325 feet. The ride opened in 2015.
Yet the coaster has had safety issues. Fury 325 closed three years ago for about six weeks due to a crack in a support beam. It closed again for two weeks this summer after a maintenance inspection found an issue with the ride’s foundation.
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No one was injured in either instance, and the ride reopened after repairs and testing.
Thunder Striker is the second-tallest coaster at Carowinds, standing 252 feet. It opened as The Intimidator in 2010 and was renamed in 2024. It’s one of four roller coasters at 100 feet or more, followed by The Flying Cobras (125 feet) and Afterburn (113 feet). Afterburn and Vortex, a stand-up roller coaster, are also made by B&M.
Carowinds has other rides that top the 100-foot mark with rotating swing ride WindSeeker at 301 feet and the panoramic lift Carolina Skytower at 262 feet. A world record-breaking log flume ride, Rip Roarin’ Falls, is under construction with plans to open next year. It includes a 100-foot drop.
Carowinds is a 400-acre theme park on the North Carolina and South Carolina state line. Half is in Charlotte, and half in Fort Mill. Carowinds has more than 60 roller coasters and rides, along with a nearly 30-acre water park that’s open during the summer.
Six Flags Entertainment Corp. has been based in Charlotte following the $8-billion merger between Six Flags and Cedar Fair in July 2024. Last month, the company announced it will move its headquarters to Arlington, Texas by March 2027.
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