Two women rode Six Flags’ X2. Both ended up needing brain surgery A thrill ride with a troubling historyTwo women went to Six Flags Magic Mountain in California looking for the kind of adrenaline rush that makes an extreme roller coaster famous. Instead, within days of each other this July, both were rushed to hospital with devastating brain injuries — and both required emergency surgery. The ride was X2, one of the world's most extreme roller coasters, featuring seats that rotate 360 degrees while the train reaches speeds approaching 80mph. CNN's investigation has now uncovered a troubling history surrounding the attraction, including more than a dozen reports of serious injuries and hospitalisations over nearly two decades. Two riders have died. ‘There’s a difference between being jerked around and brain damage’Pamela Guillen, 40, was visiting the park with her family when she agreed to ride X2 with her 16-year-old daughter. She remembers being thrown violently against the headrest several times. After the ride stopped, Guillen had to be helped from her seat and began vomiting. Moments later she lost consciousness. Paramedics found her unresponsive, with unequal and sluggish pupils. Doctors discovered a severe subdural haematoma and pressure on her brain. Surgeons had to remove part of her skull to relieve the pressure. Guillen eventually woke after two weeks in hospital, but had to learn to walk and speak again. She now suffers from severe headaches, brain fog and seizures. “You go in as yourself, and then when you come back, you’re a medical emergency,” she told CNN. “There’s a difference between being jerked around and brain damage.” Six days later, another emergencyJust six days after Guillen's injury, 25-year-old Naomi Greer-Wilkinson boarded X2 with her twin brother and younger sister. Like Guillen, she lost consciousness shortly after getting off the ride. She was rushed to hospital and underwent emergency brain surgery after doctors diagnosed a severe traumatic brain injury. More than a month later, she remained in a coma, dependent on a ventilator and feeding tube. Her parents have questioned why she was ever allowed to ride X2 given its history. “Whoever made the decision to keep X2 operational last month has a lot to answer for,” her father said. The warning signs were already thereThese two cases are not isolated incidents. In 2014, 17-year-old Selena O’Neill developed severe symptoms after riding X2 and was diagnosed with a life-threatening subdural haematoma. In 2020, Sheila Katerelos suffered traumatic brain injuries and multiple subdural haematomas after her head slammed into the ride's headrest. A year later, Lucy Alvarez suffered another traumatic brain injury. Her continuing headaches, memory problems and balance issues eventually prevented her from completing nursing school. Then came the death of 22-year-old Christopher Hawley in 2022. Hawley had complained of feeling light-headed after riding X2 before collapsing. Surgeons discovered catastrophic bleeding and swelling inside his skull. His brain had swollen so severely that it began pushing through the opening surgeons made in his skull to relieve the pressure. He died less than ten hours after riding the attraction. The medical examiner ruled his death was caused by blunt head trauma from a park ride accident. A ride with a deadly historyHawley was not the first person to die after riding X2. In 2010, 28-year-old Hilda Farias died after riding the attraction. Medical experts suspected the intensity of the ride had triggered the rupture of an abnormality in her brain. And there were warnings long before the deaths. Court records and internal Six Flags documents examined by CNN show numerous complaints involving headaches and head and neck injuries. An expert reviewing Six Flags records for Hawley's family said the park had received at least 70 head and neck injury complaints involving X2 during the three years before his death. Some riders even took to online forums to warn others about violent jolts near the end of the ride and offered advice on how to position their heads to reduce the impact. So why was it still running?That is now the uncomfortable question. After Hawley's death in 2022, California officials ordered Six Flags to shut X2 down while it was inspected. The ride was allowed to reopen within days. Six Flags has maintained in legal proceedings that X2 meets approved safety standards and that its forces are not sufficient to cause traumatic brain injuries in a normal rider who follows the instructions. The company has also argued that riders accept the inherent risks associated with amusement rides. But three neurosurgeons who treated the two women injured this July reached a very different conclusion. In their professional opinion, they said the severe brain injuries requiring emergency surgery were the result of the rapid acceleration and deceleration experienced on X2. Regulators now face questions tooCalifornia's Division of Occupational Safety and Health, which oversees amusement-park rides, has said an inspection remains ongoing. But questions remain over how previous inspections were conducted. After Hawley's death, court records indicate that state inspectors relied heavily on safety and testing information supplied by Six Flags. One ride-safety expert told CNN that industry standards are only a starting point and may not fully account for real-world factors such as a rider's head movement, seating position or the possibility of the head striking the restraint. Repeated traumatic brain injuries associated with one attraction, he said, should be regarded as a “clear safety signal” warranting a comprehensive review. The ride is closed — for nowSix Flags closed X2 on July 12, almost a full day after the latest injury. The company has declined to explain in detail why the ride was closed or answer questions about its history of reported injuries. For families such as the Greer-Wilkinsons, that silence is difficult to understand. Their daughter remains critically ill. And the question hanging over the world's thrill-seekers is a simple one: How many warnings does an extreme ride need before someone finally decides the thrill isn't worth the risk? SOURCE
