A chart titled “Deaths by Six Flags Park” is drawing attention, and so is the number at the bottom of it: 101. It arrives days after a man died at Six Flags Over Georgia following a reported fall from the Goliath roller coaster.
A chart like this raises more questions than a quick glance can answer. We’ve organized this report around those questions, with each answer tied to its source and each limit stated plainly. A content note: this report discusses deaths.
Where does the 101 come from?
From this statement: “Approximately 101 deaths at parks that were or are managed by Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (including former Cedar Fair parks after the 2024 merger), according to a detailed 2026 compilation by The Doan Law Firm.”
Three details stand out. The word “approximately” suggests an estimate, although the chart’s bars add up to exactly 101 by our own addition. The phrase “were or are managed” means the list includes parks beyond those the company runs today. And the compilation is credited to a law firm.
Approximately 101 deaths at parks that were or are managed by Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (including former Cedar Fair parks after the 2024 merger), according to a detailed 2026 compilation by The Doan Law Firm. https://t.co/tqYQt50IUu
— Cielo 🇺🇸🇵🇷 (@CieloBonit) October 13, 2026
How were the deaths counted?
The chart, as provided to us, doesn’t say. It doesn’t state a time period, and it doesn’t define what qualifies as a death in the tally. Those are significant gaps, and everything below should be read with them in mind.
What does the chart look like?
It’s a horizontal bar chart with 27 bars sorted from highest to lowest. The axis is marked at 0, 5, 10, and 15. The bars alternate between blue and red, but there’s no legend, so we’re treating the colors as a reading aid and not as categories.
The park names are abbreviated, and we’re repeating them as shown. There are two separate “Great America” entries, each at 5, and three entries beginning with “HH-,” each at 1. The chart doesn’t expand them, so we won’t.
Which parks have the most?
Great Adventure leads with 13. Kings Island has 10, Magic Mountain has 9, and Over Georgia has 7. Together, the top four total 39, about 39 percent of the 101. Great Adventure alone is about 13 percent, and its 13 is nearly double Over Georgia’s 7.
What does the rest of the chart look like?
It steps down in clusters:
- 5 deaths: CA’s Great America, Great America, and Over Texas.
- 4 deaths: Knott’s Berry Farm, America, Kings Dominion, La Ronde, St. Louis, and Wonderland.
- 3 deaths: three parks, including Carowinds.
- 2 deaths: three parks.
- 1 death: eight parks, including AstroWorld and Cedar Point.
Thirteen of the 27 parks have four or more deaths, and together they account for 78 of the 101, about 77 percent. The eight parks at 1 account for 8. The average is about 3.7 per park, while the median is 3, which tells us a few tall bars pull the average upward.
Do the tallest bars match this week’s news?
In names, yes. The four tallest bars are all parks named in this week’s coverage. Great Adventure, Kings Island, and Magic Mountain each have coasters on the paused list, and Over Georgia is where Monday’s death occurred.
That’s an overlap, and nothing more. It doesn’t show that the chart prompted any closure, and Six Flags hasn’t announced a reason for the pauses.
Does the chart show which park is the riskiest?
No. The chart contains no attendance figures, years of operation, ride counts, or causes of death. Without those, a taller bar can’t establish that one park is riskier than another. The chart also doesn’t say whether any death involved a ride, a medical event, or something else.
We also can’t tell whether Over Georgia’s 7 includes Monday’s death. Neither the chart nor our other information says so.
What do we know about Monday?
Report: Public Six Flags Souvenir Photo Captures Moment Guest Dies, Coaster Caught Ejecting Rider
Representatives for the Cobb Police Department told Entertainment Weekly that the incident occurred Monday at around 3:58 p.m. local time, adding that “several people were reported injured, and one person has died.” Detectives with the department’s Major Crimes Unit are “responding to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.”
A Six Flags representative said: “We are 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. We are also providing support to the guests and team members affected.” The statement said emergency personnel responded “immediately” and that the park is “cooperating fully with local authorities as they complete their investigation.”
Was it a malfunction?
That hasn’t been established. Entertainment Weekly reported that unconfirmed accounts on social media and from local news indicated the rider fell from the moving train near the end of Goliath’s course. The cause has not been confirmed, and we are not describing the event as a malfunction.
Which coasters have been paused?
A Six Flags spokesperson told Entertainment Weekly that nine other coasters, in addition to Goliath, have “temporarily paused” at five of the chain’s parks in the United States and one in Canada.
The report named eight: Diamondback and Orion at Kings Island, Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain, Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure, Fury 325 and Thunder Striker at Carowinds, and Behemoth and Leviathan at Canada’s Wonderland. The information we have doesn’t name the ninth.
Nine of the ten coasters were designed by Bolliger & Mabillard. The exception is Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain, built by Giovanola, a separate ride from the one in Georgia. A spokesperson confirmed that Titan, a similar Giovanola model, has not closed. No specific reason or reopening date was announced for any of the pauses.
Were there earlier incidents?
Entertainment Weekly noted a 2013 incident in which a guest was ejected from the New Texas Giant at Six Flags Over Texas. It also noted that Monday’s incident followed three lawsuits over alleged brain injuries tied to Six Flags Magic Mountain’s X2, which the park recently announced it would close. Park president Brian Oerding wrote that X2 “consistently passed a multitude of safety tests,” but that the park “decided to close the ride because we believe it’s the right thing to do.”
Because the chart doesn’t show years or causes, none of those events can be matched to a specific bar.
Does any of this apply to Disney parks?
The chart covers Six Flags-managed parks and nothing else. It doesn’t include Disney parks, so it says nothing about them and offers no basis for a comparison. For any park you plan to visit, check its official page for ride closures and alerts before you go.
What’s the takeaway?
A chart can show a count, but it can’t explain one. This one lays out 101 deaths across 27 parks, and it leaves the most important questions unanswered. Reading it carefully, and keeping it separate from the confirmed facts about Monday, is the fairest way to use it.
Should a statistic like this arrive with attendance and years of operation attached? Tell us in the comments, and please keep the conversation respectful. Our thoughts are with the man’s family and everyone affected.
