Roller Coaster Safety: Brain Injuries and Park Incidents

The X2 roller coaster at a California amusement park has been shut down following two separate incidents in which women lost consciousness and required emergency brain surgery within a six-day span. The serious cases, which occurred this month, prompted a safety investigation and renewed scrutiny of one of the park's most extreme attractions.

The first incident took place on July 5, when 40-year-old Pamela Gwillen rode the attraction during a family visit to the park. After the ride ended, she lost consciousness and was rushed to the hospital. Medical staff discovered she was suffering from severe subdural bleeding and pressure on the brain, requiring immediate emergency surgery.

Her condition was so critical that surgeons had to remove part of her skull to allow the brain to manage swelling and prevent life-threatening pressure. Gwillen regained consciousness approximately two weeks after the incident, but faced a lengthy rehabilitation during which she had to relearn basic functions including walking and speaking.

Just six days later, a second case occurred.

Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, 25, also rode the X2. After exiting the attraction, she lost consciousness and was rushed to the hospital, where she too required emergency brain surgery following severe brain trauma. She has remained in a coma in critical condition since then, requiring a ventilator and feeding tube.

The two cases have renewed questions about the forces exerted on riders' bodies during the attraction. The X2 reaches speeds of approximately 76 miles per hour, and unlike conventional roller coasters, the seats themselves rotate independently from the track and can complete 360-degree spins.

According to published investigations, doctors who treated both women believed the extreme acceleration and deceleration during the ride may be connected to the injuries they sustained. Meanwhile, examination of the attraction's history revealed a series of previous reports of head and neck injuries.

Over the years, the ride has been linked to a string of incidents, including two fatalities. In 2022, 22-year-old Christopher Hawley died after suffering a brain injury that, according to a lawsuit filed by his family, was caused by riding the attraction.

Even after the first case, the attraction was not immediately closed and continued operating. Only after the second incident on July 12 was the X2 shut down, and it has remained closed since.