Decapitation at Six Flags Over Georgia

[ktulu]

Perhaps SGT has become Kingdom Hearts, and the heartless have taken over...

Everyone makes mistakes, I know I've had my fair share of times when I probably should have gotten seriously hurt or even killed, and my parents did an awesome job raising me. You can't always blame the parents, people make their own choices. What if this was one of your family members, would you go to your family member, say "good riddance", laugh at them and say what a horrible job they did raising him?

[Ms. Matterhorn]

Hat, schmat! This update from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says that the kid and his friend left the park to get food outside, then scaled the two fences to get back in. Did they forget to get their hand stamped?

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/ ... death.html

[BRWombat]

Frankly, I can see both sides -- it was a stupid, stupid way to die, and it is an unspeakable tragedy for those who knew and loved the guy. Even reading the Darwin Awards -- which are hilarious -- you have to think that someone, somewhere, loved each of those people and were devastated when they died. It's just human nature that the more distant you are from a situation, the less the emotions of it affect you.

Bottom line, let's do respect the fact that this was a tragedy for those involved, but I have no problem pointing to it as a cautionary tale.

[SRT_GB]

I agree with Wombat, but what I think is the bigger tragedy here is that someone is going to see the death of this young person as a way to make money via lawsuit. I can picture a lawsuit against Six Flags as well as against the roller coaster's designer and manufacturer.

And let's not forget about the ROs. Even though the investigation will most likely show they did nothing wrong, I'm sure they would have been very shaken up by this incident. I know if I was at the control panel when this happened I would be asking myself "what if" for a very long time, even if management and co-workers kept telling me I did nothing wrong.

[thomaskr]

I didn't mean fatally electrified, I meant give 'em a good jolt. And if they're stupid enough to come in and complain, tell them that if they had used their head and obeyed the signs, they wouldn't have gotten zapped. Livestock that encounter electric fences see the fence as the boss, and once zapped, they obey and don't try to go through the fence. But I guess the average SG is dumber than a cow.

Thank you, totally hilarious, nice logical progression, the whole 9... that totally made my day.

I like how "Darwin" is becoming this blanket term for natural selection of the self-stupidity variety. It's like some kind of natural or "godly force" which I guess technically it is. ;)

Don't worry about how other people perceive our forum's response to this death, I've read plenty worse on other sites. The consensus seems to be that this idiot got what was coming to him. Sympathy reserved only for those of the relatives and extremely sweet-natured. I mean, if Bambi's mom had jumped over two fences and gotten hit by a roller coaster, it would have been a comedy.

Update on the story:

he was "struck and killed." Six Flags said in a statement that details of the fatal accident would be released "shortly."

"According to Fox 5 TV, a group of boys with a church group visiting the amusement park jumped a fence around an off-limits area. One of them jumped to grab someone's feet as the Batman ride passed over, and he was decapitated."

That confirms it: not only stupid but batshit stupid, as well.

[ectomstr]

Wow. I just read all of these posts. A young man is dead, and his family and friends are mourning him. We are here discussing how the planet is better off without him, and what bad parents he must have had? Stupid it was. I would rather that my child did something stupid, then did or said something hateful.

Wow. Ever done anything that you knew you shouldn't? Never? Perhaps your intelligently perfect life hasn't been worth living?

I came here because I admire castmembers and think that they have a hard job. I came here to show support and give you a word of encouragement. If your experiences with the pubic have led you to this level of jadedness, I suspect that you and all of the guests (both SG and otherwise) would be better off if you sought other employment. I suspect that you'd be happier too.

Have I ever done anything wrong? you betcha. when i was a kid as in 8-10. Was I told off for it? you betcha. My parents raised me with I believe good grains into society of what to do and what not to do.

As for the jaded feeling? nope. Not jaded. You know everytime I encounter a SG I have the same reaction? To think. If one was to be jaded as you have said here, I wouldn't react at all. I wouldn't notice. I would file EVERY guest under the SG tag and have left them all well alone. No. I don't do that. Nor am I jaded as you like to put myself (and other CM's here) under that category. As all the others would contend, we relish in the fact that out of all the "SG's" that come through the gates, at least most of the guest we encounter seem to have a bit of intelligence about them and make for magic moments in our direction, instead of having a "jaded" feeling at the end of the day from dealing with SG's. When I encounter guests like this I FORGET what the stupids did and remember the good ones (unless the SG did something really really noteworthy then that makes all the difference hehe).

Jaded? Nope, pick another one. I'm stickin' with my job and what I said. He was stupid, his parents are just as liable and that's all I got to say about that.

[JugglingFreak]

Well, I'm going to go out on a limb here. The phrase "what if it was your child/family-member?" is thrown around a lot on this thread.. I can honestly answer that it would make no difference.


My aunt had diabetes and would not take care of herself, modify her diet, take her insulin as needed. Repeated interventions were done by family members, it made no difference. It made no difference after her feet were amputated. Later she became a drooling vegetable and eventually died.

At the funeral no one, even her own mother, was unable to generate any sympathy as she had done it to herself..

So, yes, I can honestly say that I would act the same if it was a family member.


As for the parenting skills, I make no comment because as the old saying goes "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink" is fully illustrated above..

[Freak]

"According to Fox 5 TV, a group of boys with a church group visiting the amusement park jumped a fence around an off-limits area. One of them jumped to grab someone's feet as the Batman ride passed over, and he was decapitated."

That confirms it: not only stupid but batshit stupid, as well.

Wow. I'm not sure what makes you think this would be a good idea in the slightest. Or a fun idea, or a daring idea. This just seems like suicide to me.

And like JugglingFreak said, if one of my family members or best friends did this, I wouldn't be able to generate sympathy either. This is just ridiculous stupid. What's next? Running out into a busy street and trying to jump over a car?

And let's not forget about the ROs. Even though the investigation will most likely show they did nothing wrong, I'm sure they would have been very shaken up by this incident. I know if I was at the control panel when this happened I would be asking myself "what if" for a very long time, even if management and co-workers kept telling me I did nothing wrong.

The way investigations work now a days, I sure hope they don't try and peg anything on the ROs, even if it wasn't their fault. I've seen that happen too many times.

[Ms. Matterhorn]

The way investigations work now a days, I sure hope they don't try and peg anything on the ROs, even if it wasn't their fault. I've seen that happen too many times.

And I'd hate to hear an irate manager yell, "Heads will roll!"

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

And I'd hate to hear an irate manager yell, "Heads will roll!"

Hmmmmm!!!

Only after a safety talk!!!