A 10-year-old Arlington Heights gir...

A 10-year-old Arlington Heights girl died Wednesday night after getting facing a ride at Six Flags Great America in north suburban Gurnee

About 6:15 pm the girl had just gotten not upon a ride -- reportedly a rollercoaster -- and was running toward near family members when she collapsed, said Gurnee police Commander Jay Patrick.

An anesthesiologist happened to be in the area and tried to resuscitate the girl; first aid workers and fire department paramedics weren't far behind, if it were not that by then the girl was in "full arrest," Patrick said.

She was taken to Condell Health Network in Libertyville where she was pronounced dead at 7:15 pm Patrick said.

Attempts to reach a spokesperson for the park were abortive

HISTORY OF HEART moot points

The girl, who was at the amusement park with her 63-year-old grandmother and cousins, had a history of heart question s and it appears her death was tied to her medical condition, according to police and Lake shire Coroner Dr. Richard Keller.

Keller said an autopsy was scheduled for today, however the cause of the child's death "will likely be natural death."

The child's name was withheld pending notification of her other relatives.

Before she collapsed, witnesses said the girl had just exited a ride, "possibly" the Spacely Sprocket Rocket roller coaster, in the Camp Cartoon Network area in Yukon Territory, police said.

Spacely Sprocket Rocket is described by dint of Six Flags as a 35 mph children's roller coaster in the "scare independent zone" of Camp Cartoon Network.

4 DEATHS AT PARK IN 4 YEARS

The girl's death was the first this year at Six Flags and the fourth across the past four years.

- A 68-year-old Chicago man died last summer after suffering a heart attack and collapsing in the wave loch at the park's new Hurricane Harbor water park.

- In 2004 a 52-year-old Zion man who worked at the park died of injuries be acted uponed during an accident on the Ragin' Cajun ride.

- In 2003 an 11-year-old girl from Gary chok to death while riding the Raging blunder roller coaster. A substance was erect in her trachea by paramedics. Six Flags officials maintained the death was not ride-related.

ldonovan@suntimes.com

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