Six Flags to Add Seat Belts to Goliath After Rider's Death
Six Flags says it will fit seat belts to its Goliath coaster in Georgia and to similar rides, and has hired outside engineers to review safety across its parks.
Six Flags will put seat belts on its Goliath roller coaster in Georgia, about two weeks after a rider fell from the ride and died.
Chief executive John Reilly announced the change in a letter to customers on Friday. Seat belts are also planned for other coasters that use the same kind of restraint, though the company has not said which ones. Goliath currently has a lap bar that locks over the rider's waist, a design from Bolliger & Mabillard.
Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, a 42-year-old father and educator, was ejected from the ride at Six Flags Over Georgia on 12 October, police have said. Four other passengers were injured as he fell. Georgia authorities are investigating.
Rides stay closed
Goliath will remain shut while safety reviews continue. Eight other rides at five other parks have also been closed as a precaution, Reilly said. The company has hired independent engineers and ride inspection specialists to look at safety procedures across all of its parks, and it has commissioned a separate independent review covering every attraction.
"Our hearts remain with the family and loved ones of Hassan Kariem, those injured, and everyone impacted by the tragic incident," Reilly wrote. He added: "I know trust is earned through actions and not words. We will continue to communicate about our progress and hold ourselves accountable to our commitments to you."
Six Flags runs 34 locations across North America with more than 220 roller coasters in total, and more than 28 million guests visit its parks every year, according to the company's website. Goliath opened in 2006. The park's website lists it at 200 feet high with a 540-degree spiral and a top speed of 70mph.
The Georgia death is not the first at a Six Flags park. An Iraq War veteran died in 2011 after being thrown from a ride in New York, and in 2013 a woman died after slipping from her restraints and falling 75 feet from a coaster in Texas.
The company also faces a lawsuit from past riders who say they suffered brain injuries on the X2 coaster at Magic Mountain in California. They accuse the park of operating a defective ride and of negligence for keeping it running, according to court documents. A CNN investigation found a long history of brain injuries and at least two deaths linked to X2. A 22-year-old man died from a brain injury after riding it in 2022, and his family settled a wrongful-death suit with the park in August. The following month, the park announced it was closing X2.
Source: The Guardian