Man dies after riding roller coaster at Six Flags

<p>A 45-year-old Alabama man died of an apparent heart attack after losing consciousness at the end of the newest roller coaster ride at the Six Flags Over Georgia amusement park.</p><p>Michael Corry, of Birmingham, Ala., was alert while riding the Goliath roller coaster on Thursday, but he was unconscious by the ride's end, said Six Flags spokeswoman Christy Poore.</p><p>By the time firefighters arrived, he wasn't breathing, said Cobb County Fire Lt. Dan Dupree. He said the man was pronounced dead at a hospital.</p><p>Corry's autopsy showed he had a congenital heart problem, said Mike Gerhard, an investigator with the Cobb Medical Examiner's Office. He said the fatality will likely be ruled a natural death, but a decision won't be made until the results of routine toxicology tests are returned.</p><p>The $20 million roller coaster was shut down for inspection by Six Flags and state safety officials. Two hours later, it was reopened after officials determined it was working properly, Poore said.</p><p>Goliath soars 200 feet over the park, lasting just over three minutes and reaching speeds of 70 miles per hour. It opened this year with much fanfare, billed by the amusement park as "A Giant Among Coasters."</p><p>On Monday, a 52-year-old Florida man died after riding the Gwazi roller coaster at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Fla. A medical examiner later said Thomas M. Welch suffered from high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries.</p><p>A 12-year-old boy who died after riding Disney-MGM's Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., last month was also found to have heart problems. An autopsy showed the boy had a congenital heart defect, the medical examiner said.</p>

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