World-famous rollercoaster in America linked to brain injuries, comas and deaths

World-famous rollercoaster in America linked to brain injuries, comas and deaths An investigation found the world famous X2 rollercoaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California has been linked to two deaths and more than a dozen serious injuries and hospitalisations A world-famous rollercoaster in America has been linked to brain injuries, comas and deaths, in a new report. The terrifying X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California is dubbed a “rite of passage for the ultimate daredevil”. But the ride has been linked to two deaths and numerous injuries over the past 24 years. The ride has now been shut down after two riders suffered catastrophic injuries and needed emergency brain surgery in incidents just days apart this summer. Thrill-seekers form across the world visit the theme park to try out the X2 ride which spins passengers 360 degrees independently of the track as the train plunges down steep drops at speeds of nearly 80mph. Dubbed a “rite of passage for the ultimate daredevil”, X2 is one of just three four-dimensional rollercoasters in the world. Two women injured this summer In July two women suffered severe brain haemorrhages after riding the 76mph attraction, according to an investigating by CNN. On July 5, Pamela Guillen, suffered a severe subdural haematoma and brain compression after repeatedly smashing her head against the ride’s headrest. After the end of the ride she began vomiting and later lost consciousness before being rushed to a nearby hospital. Doctors were forced to remove part of her skull to relieve pressure on her swelling brain. After recovering from surgery Guillen told CNN: “You go in as yourself, and then when you come back, you’re a medical emergency. I still can’t wrap my head around that.” Guillen says she's "very lucky to be alive" after having to relearn how to walk and talk, while she now relies on medication to prevent seizures. She told CNN: “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.” Just six days later, Los Angeles woman Naomi Greer-Wilkinson climbed aboard X2 a decision that would later result in her being placed in a coma. The 25-year-old remains in a coma after suffering a traumatic brain injury. Her devastated parents were told by doctors that she was in a critical condition and should prepare for the worst. Neurosurgeons link injuries to X2 Three neurosurgeons who treated the two women gave a damning assessment of what they believe happened. They said: “In our professional opinion, the severe brain injuries requiring emergent neurosurgical attention were the result of a traumatic rapid acceleration-deceleration event experienced while on the X2 ride.” Six Flags shut X2 on July 12, almost a day after Greer-Wilkinson’s injury. Two people have died after riding X2 Christopher Hawley died in June 2022 after riding X2, with doctors finding his brain so swollen it began bulging through an opening in his skull. His surgeon compared the devastating injury to “shaken baby syndrome”, while a medical examiner ruled that blunt head trauma from “a park ride accident” caused his death. A jury trial is set to begin in the Hawley family's lawsuit in September. The family is seeking compensatory damages. In 2010 28-year-old mother Hilda Farias, also died after riding the attraction, with experts suspecting a ruptured brain abnormality. A Six Flags spokesman declined to respond to CNN's detailed questions but did confirm: “The ride remains closed at this time.” The ride’s manufacturer, Arrow Dynamics, went bankrupt more than two decades ago but The Mirror has contacted California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, which oversees amusement park rides, for comment.