The ride reopened on September 14, 2013, after redesigned restraint bars, pads, and seat belts were installed on all three trains. All Rights Reserved. The ride first opened in 1990 as an all-wooden coaster but underwent a $10 million renovation in 2010 to install steel-hybrid rails before reopening in 2011. / CBS Texas. She said emergency responders arrived but it took them awhile to actually locate the victim. It can carry up to 24 riders. A woman died after falling out of the Texas Giant roller coaster at the Six Flags Over Texas amusement park in Arlington, Texas. Witnesses told local media outlets that the woman fell from the ride, which is billed as the tallest steel-hybrid roller coaster in the world. Rolling Thunder. Now Esparza is dead and Six Flags Over Texas representatives say the theme park is committed to finding out what led to the womans death on Friday. Market data provided by Factset. New Texas Giant is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas.It originally opened as Texas Giant, which was the tallest wooden roller coaster in the world when it debuted in 1990. [9][10] The steel track was designed to be a replacement for any existing wooden track structure, with the rail shape, approximate weight, and dimensions remaining the same. [22], On July 19, 2013, a 52-year-old woman fell to her death while riding New Texas Giant. On July 19 of that year, a woman fell to her death after her restraints failed to properly secure into place. Legal Statement. It was reintroduced on April 22, 2011 with a steel track. [8], As the name suggests, New Texas Giant is located within the Texas section of Six Flags Over Texas. [8][15], The original Texas Giant by Dinn Corporation was 10 feet (3.0m) lower in height than its Rocky Mountain Construction counterpart. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. July 22, 2013: A woman died riding a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas. Video Deadly Accident on Texas Roller Coaster - ABC News Trump, Kushner subpoena Year into war in Ukraine Winter storm Latest: Ohio train derailment Deadly Accident on Texas Roller Coaster Woman falls to her death on 'Texas Giant' roller coaster ride at Six Flags amusement park. Minutes later, one of the roller coasters seats came back empty. There is no federal agency that regulates amusement parks. Texas Giant is located at the original Six Flags theme park just outside of Dallas. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends during this difficult time," the statement said. [4] The trains were manufactured by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters. The Fall from The Texas Giant. Six Flags Great Adventure. Fiesta Texas spokeswoman Sydne Purvis says the decision came late Friday after officials heard about the Arlington accident. July 19, 2013— -- A woman died on a rollercoaster at the Six Flags Over Texas amusement park in Arlington, Texas, apparently after falling out of her seat, a witness told local media. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. [5] Following Fright Fest for that year, the ride closed on November 1, 2009. The family said her seat restraint seemed to go down normally before the car left. The ride has been closed. [2] The Texas Giant officially opened on March 17, 1990. Dec. 13, 1960: Angus Wynne, Jr., founder of Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, points out where the LaSalle River . Why are people hesitant to trust a COVID-19 vaccine? A family who was in line behind Ayala-Goana said she was riding with her daughter and son-in-law. READ MORE: Six Flags Over Texas: Woman Dies While Riding 'Texas Giant' Rollercoaster, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The report says it took firefighters an hour to find her body, the Houston Chronicle reports; it was "partially wrapped around" a . Witnesses told media local media outlets that the woman was on the ride with her son and fell to hear death. The ride, which is 14 stories high, opened in 1990 with a wooden track. A Warner Bros. (credit: Esparza family), City Council To Address Nudity Claim At Local'Breastaurant', 13-Year-Old Arrested For Murder Of Missing5-Year-Old, Randy Travis In Critical Condition AfterStroke. Hers only clicked once. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Later, he described his mother as his best friend. Brown said she was waiting in line to get on the ride when the accident happened. Records show the Texas Giant did not have any ongoing issues at its last inspection and it's next inspection was scheduled for February 2014. A man dies when a Skybucket gondola breaks from cable and falls to ground below YouTube / NYPTravel Date: February 5, 1978 Park: Six Flags Magic Mountain (Calif.) Story: A gondola carrying a. No other details were available. Another amusement park accident unfolded after a thrill ride malfunctioned at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio Friday evening. The Tarrant County Medical. [9][11] Schilke designed the modifications to the layout, giving specifications to Grubb for manufacturing at RMC's Idaho plant. There, two-dimensional plates of steel were machine-welded to form the three-dimensional track parts. At 153 feet tall, the Texas Giant is considered the world's tallest steel-wood hybrid roller coaster. July 23, 2013 / 4:07 PM The Texas Giant . [8] Riders are restrained through the use of an individual hydraulic lap bar and a seat belt. An investigation into the accident will be conducted by Six Flags, not any local police or fire agency. This leads directly to a 153-foot-tall (47m) chain lift hill. July 22, 2013, 8:47 AM PDT. "The new ride also has a record-breaking bank of 95 degrees, steeper than any other wooden coaster on the planet. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. News of the woman's death flooded Twitter on Friday evening when the accident happened at around 6:45 p.m. Arlington Fire Department used a ladder truck to get to where Ayala-Goana's body had fallen onto a platform below the roller coaster. Six Flags Over Texas: Remarkably, the theme park's flagship had recorded only one death in the 52 years leading up to Thursday. Our thoughts, prayers and full support remain with the family," said Sharon Parker, Communications Manager for Six Flags Over Texas/Hurricane Harbor. The eyewitness from the video above shared an exchange that she overheard between the woman who fell from Texas Giant and a ride op. [2][8] Additionally, a 540 helix after the mid-course brake run was converted into a 180 turnaround, resulting in its track length being shortened by approximately 400 feet (120m). 2nd Impeachment Trial: What this could mean for Trump, Presidential transition of power: Examined, How Donald Trump spent his last days as president, How Joe Biden's inauguration will be different from previous years, Trump challenges the vote and takes legal action, 2020s DNC and RNC are different than any before, Power Trip: Those Who Seek Power and Those Who Chase Them, Leave No Trace: A Hidden History of the Boy Scouts, Keeper of the Ashes: The Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders, The Orphans of COVID: America's Hidden Toll, X / o n e r a t e d - The Murder of Malcolm X and 55 Years to Justice, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Employee. "She goes up like this. Cedar Point officials said in a statement a boat on its Shoot the Rapids ride rolled backwards and flipped over in water, trapping and injuring seven passengers. appreciated. "A little scary to know that something like that happened," said park visitor Mel Price. Several other witnesses on social media immediately after the incident said it appeared her restraint either broke or came loose. [9] New Texas Giant operates with three trains manufactured by Gerstlauer. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 24 riders per train. The track was developed over the course of three years by RMC owner Fred Grubb, and Ride Centerline, LLC engineers Alan Schilke and Dody Bachtar. "She was no bigger than I was. July 20, 2013 13:00 11:16 The Murders Before the Marathon After the accident, and before reopening the Texas Giant, Six Flags redesigned the lap bar restraint pads and added seat belts. Since 2008, 14 injury reports (mostly minor) have taken place on The Texas Giant. Six Flags has temporarily closed the section of the park where the accident occurred and has not yet released when they will reopen. The ride can carry up to 24 riders, has a drop of 79 degrees and a bank if 95 degrees. Woman dies on Texas Giant at Six Flags - YouTube 0:00 / 1:17 Woman dies on Texas Giant at Six Flags 735,620 views Jul 19, 2013 1.1K Dislike Share Save KXAN 146K subscribers A woman died at. Six Flags Over Texas says it's committed to finding out what caused a woman's death, In Facebook posts, Rosy Esparza's family calls the experience a "nightmare", Authorities say there is no sign of "foul play or criminality", Witnesses tell CNN affiliates that the woman didn't feel safe before the ride. Since the safety of our guests and employees is our number one priority, the ride has been closed pending further investigation. ARLINGTON (CBSDFW.COM) - A woman riding a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, plummeted to her death Friday evening around 6:45 p.m.On July 22 the Tarrant County Medical. ), First published on July 19, 2013 / 8:07 PM. Tyre Sampson fell on March 24 from the 430-foot ride called Orlando FreeFall, which is taller than the Statue of . Ayala-Goana fell 75 feet, higher than a seven story building, and struck a support metal beam. "We're concerned as engineers that we design things that fit people," said Bob Swint, CEO of Houston-based ATA Associates. On Twitter, witnesses described the unimaginable horror. How climate change and forest management make wildfires harder to contain, Disparity in police response: Black Lives Matter protests and Capitol riot. It would be a disservice to the family to speculate regarding what transpired. / CBS/AP. The ME's office released more details in a statement on Tuesday about the incident at the amusement park that killed the 52-year-old woman. Six Flags Great Adventure: Park guest June 17, 1987 Restraint not closed properly Mini Dragon: Funland Park: Park guest September 11, 1999 Spinning Coaster Maihim: Tokyo Dome City: Park guest January 1, 2000 Superman Ride of Steel: Darien Lake: Park guest July 8, 2011 War veteran who had lost both his legs. The state requires two things: the first includes proof that a certified engineer approves the ride under manufacturer specifications or national standards, whichever is stricter. [1], Construction had already started in June 1989. [7][11] In October 2010, Six Flags announced that the renovated ride would be called the New Texas Giant. Manufactured by Dinn Corporation and designed by Curtis D. Summers, Texas Giant operated for nearly two decades and was ranked in Amusement Today magazine's annual Golden Ticket Awards as the best roller coaster in 1998 and 1999. I always thought that they do have safety precautions and they do check everybody, so I didn't know that this could happen.". Although the maintenance did improve the ride, park officials needed a more permanent solution. It didn't say how long the area would be closed. The Texas Giant before and after its renovation, showcasing the profile of the first drop and a turnaround. It was moments after they report hearing a pop, then seeing Rosy Esparza lift from her seat. "She goes up like this, then when it drops to come down, that's when it [the woman's restraint] released and she just tumbled," Carmen Brown told ABC News affiliate WFAA, adding that she had been next in line to ride the coaster at the time. In an e-mail to The Associated Press, Six Flags spokeswoman Sharon Parker said the company "will not release any details pertaining to the investigation until it is complete.". "She goes up like this, then when it drops to come down, that's when it [the woman's restraint] released and she just tumbled," Carmen Brown told ABC Dallas affiliate WFAA-TV. We saw all the EMT's and firefighters and stuff rushing out. The new report from the Arlington Police Department details the grisly death of Rosa Ayala-Gaona Esparza, 52, after she was flung from the Texas Giant roller coaster at a Six Flags amusement park on July 19. Our thoughts, prayers and full support remain with the family.". ), First published on March 6, 2014 / 1:36 PM. Since the safety of our guests and employees is our number one priority, the ride has been closed pending further investigation.