Full Breakdown
Six Flags to Add Seat Belts on Georgia Roller Coaster After Fatal Ejection
By Drooid · · How we work
Incident and Immediate Response
Earlier this month, 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem of Atlanta was ejected from his seat on the Goliath coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia and died after falling headfirst onto the track. Witnesses reported seeing him rise out of his seat before being thrown from the train. State and local officials opened an investigation, and investigators have not yet determined what caused the ejection.
Safety Upgrade Plan
“We are reinforcing safety precautions at our parks and taking additional measures, including adding seat belts on Goliath and other coasters with a similar restraint,” — John Reilly, president and CEO of Six Flags Entertainment Corporation Six Flags has also engaged independent engineers and inspectors to review safety procedures for all rides at its parks. The seat-belt retrofit will be applied to Goliath and any other Six Flags coasters that use the same restraint system.
Ride Closures Across Parks
Following the incident, Six Flags temporarily shut down nine coasters that share the same manufacturer and clamshell restraint design. Eight of those coasters remain closed at parks in Gurnee, Illinois; Jackson Township, New Jersey; Charlotte, North Carolina; Mason, Ohio; and Vaughan, Ontario. Non-Six Flags parks also responded: SeaWorld Orlando closed its Mako coaster for a week, and La Ronde in Montreal shuttered a similar ride. No reopening dates have been announced for the affected Six Flags attractions.
Restraint Design Background
All nine suspended coasters were built by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard. Their clamshell restraints lock a padded bar over each rider’s lap and upper legs, a system patented in 2001 and marketed as providing a “flying carpet” experience while guaranteeing optimum security. The fatal ejection has prompted renewed scrutiny of this restraint type across the amusement-park industry.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We are reinforcing safety precautions at our parks and taking additional measures, including adding seat belts on Goliath and other coasters with a similar restraint,” — John Reilly, president and CEO of Six Flags Entertainment Corporation