The woman who tragically fell to her death from a Six Flags roller coaster in Texas on Friday has been identified as Rosy Esparza who was on the ride alongside her son who witnessed the accident, according to CBS News.
Before the ride, called the Texas Giant which is the world's tallest steel-hybrid coaster, witnesses said Esparza felt her lap bar was not secure enough before the ride took off.
According to the report, witnesses say the ride was so fast, they didn't see the woman fall out. When the ride reached the end, multiple witnesses who were next in line to ride the roller coaster heard the son screaming out "My mom, my mom, we've got to get my mom... she's gone." The age of the son was not released and no statement from the family has been given.
"We were the people standing there when the car pulled up and it was empty," said witness John Putnam who was at the amusement park with his family.
Six Flags officials initially said they were "working with authorities" to determine the cause of the fatality. Later, they acknowledged that this is an internal investigation into only the second customer to die on a ride since the park opened in 1961.
Six Flags released a statement Friday night following the tragic accident:
"We are deeply saddened to share that earlier this evening an adult woman died in the park while on the Texas Giant. Park medical staff and local paramedics responded immediately. Since the safety of our guests and employees is our number one priority, the ride has been closed pending further investigation. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends during this difficult time."
The "Texas Giant" first opened in 1990 as the world's tallest wooden roller coaster but was closed in November 2009 to convert it to a steel-and-wood hybrid. When it reopened in April 2011, the expanded coaster offered a smoother ride and a higher top speed of 65 mph. It features a 79-degree drop and three turns that are sharper than 90 degrees.
