Six Flags to Add Seat Belts to Coasters After Fatal Fall
Theme park chain is retrofitting rides with lap restraints following death of a rider on Goliath.
Six Flags is adding seat belts to several of its roller coasters following the fatal fall of a rider from the Goliath ride at Six Flags Over Georgia. The safety enhancement comes less than two weeks after Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, was ejected from the ride on October 12.
Eight other Six Flags coasters that utilize a similar restraint system manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard remain closed across the U.S. and Canada as investigations into the incident continue. Witnesses reported seeing Kariem rise from his seat and fall before being ejected. Some passengers who rode Goliath earlier that day also expressed concerns about the restraints.
"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," stated Six Flags Entertainment President and CEO John Reilly. The restraint system in question features a padded lap bar and an additional bar between the knees, designed to provide a sensation of flying while maintaining security.
Six Flags has enlisted independent engineers and inspectors to review safety procedures across its theme parks. The company has not yet announced which additional coasters will receive seat belts or when the temporarily closed rides will reopen.
Beyond Six Flags properties, the incident prompted precautionary closures at other parks. SeaWorld Orlando temporarily shut down its Mako roller coaster, which uses a similar restraint system, before reopening it after a weeklong closure. A roller coaster at La Ronde in Montreal was also temporarily closed.
