Amusement parks are packed with kids squealing with delight on a carousel or adults screaming their lungs off in excitement from thrilling rides. Either way, people hardly expect such a joyful place to transform their existence for the worse. But life is unpredictable, and tragedy can strike at any time.
Just look at these unsuspecting women who were rushed to the ER after riding the world-famous X2 rollercoaster in LA’s Six Flags. While the ride has been closed for now, an investigation has shed light on its dark past, and people couldn’t believe it was allowed to operate for so many years.
Six Flags’ “downright scary” X2 rollercoaster got shut down after 2 women suffered severe brain injuries
Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park in California calls itself “the thrill capital of the world,” but lately, it’s under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Its exhilarating X2 rollercoaster is not for the faint of heart. It’s referred to as “a rite of passage for the ultimate daredevil,” and it stayed true to its promise of extreme thrill after it severely harmed 2 women riders recently.
They were rushed for emergency brain surgeries and suffered life-altering injuries. This drew a lot of scrutiny and even sparked a CNN investigation, which forced the park authorities to shut down the ride in July. The theme park’s website advertises it as a “downright scary,” fourth-dimensional rollercoaster that has riders dropping, ascending, and twisting in “360° rotating seats,” and reaching up to 76mph.
According to an investigation, two people have lost their lives in the past after riding the coaster
When it first opened in 2002 as X, it won the Best Steel Rollercoaster Award. The ride has attracted thrill-seekers from all over the world in the last 24 years, and 40-year-old Pamela Guillen was just one of them. She was celebrating her daughter’s 16th birthday when the coaster’s headrest banged into her head multiple times.
She was rushed to the hospital immediately after she started vomiting and lost consciousness when the ride was over. Tests revealed that she had a severe subdural hematoma and brain compression, only regaining consciousness 2 weeks later.
“I’m very lucky to be alive. I’m taking it a day at a time to not overwhelm myself and to not go into a dark hole of mourning who I was and what I was able to do before this,” Pamela told CNN, as she still battles with headaches and needs to take medications to prevent seizures.
Moreover, it was also recorded that almost 70 head and neck injury complaints were listed by the theme park
Just 6 days after this tragic event, 25-year-old Naomi Greer-Wilkinson became unconscious after she rode the coaster with her siblings. She was immediately taken for brain surgery, but remains in a coma to this day.
Neurosurgeons who treated both women mentioned, “the severe brain injuries requiring emergent neurosurgical attention were the result of a traumatic rapid acceleration-deceleration event experienced while on the X2 ride.”
Meanwhile, Six Flags only offered her McDonald’s food without any further comment on the situation. Her heartbroken father commented, “Whoever made the decision to keep X2 operational last month has a lot to answer for. It’s got to stop.”
This is not the first time that X2 has landed in hot water. Shockingly enough, according to the Six Flags records, almost 70 head and neck injury complaints were listed between 2019 and 2022 alone. Park officials have defended the coaster by citing the sign warning riders of “inherent risks.”
The investigation also exposed that two people had succumbed to their injuries because of the coaster. However, one rider had a pre-existing brain abnormality. Six Flags recently settled the lawsuit with the other victim, Christopher Hawley’s family. “We want to make sure that that ride isn’t going to [take] somebody else,” his father told the Orange County Register. But according to KTLA, the terms of their agreement have not been disclosed.
Six Flags has not made any further comments on the ride’s closure, as many families still demand answers. Netizens were shocked by the whole ordeal and had a lot to say. What are your thoughts about it? Let us know in the comments.
Netizens were outraged that the ride was still operating despite so many tragic incidents
