More roller coasters shut down as police and state regulators examine how a rider fell from a seat and died at a Georgia amusement park, prompting safety reviews at parks in the United States and Canada.
Sea World Orlando in Florida and La Ronde in Montreal confirmed Thursday they had temporarily closed specific rides, bringing the total number of roller coasters halted to 12.
Goliath coaster safety reviews expand
Authorities are investigating what caused 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, a school employee from Atlanta, to fall from the Goliath coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia on Monday. Witnesses said he was ejected, and some riders who went before him raised concerns about the restraints.
Ten of the affected coasters share the same manufacturer and a similar restraint system as Goliath.
One parent said her son and daughter rode Goliath about an hour before the fatality and encountered a restraint issue with one seat. Her son initially tried to lock the harness, then moved when it repeatedly unlatched.
The train left the station with that seat empty and the harness raised, she said in a social media post later confirmed by text to the Associated Press. She added that staff did not alert her children to any problem.
Another guest, who was at the park with her family and saw Kariem fall, previously told the Associated Press that her older children kept pressing their restraints tighter during the ride. She later understood why when she rode, saying the restraints did not feel secure.
Six Flags did not immediately respond to an emailed question about restraint issues.
La Ronde said its Goliath is offline while it conducts a safety review with the ride’s manufacturer. Neither La Ronde nor Sea World Orlando specified why those rides were closed.
Both were built by Swiss firm Bolliger & Mabillard, which also manufactured Goliath in Georgia and eight other coasters Six Flags has paused. The company declined to answer questions about the shutdowns.
Photos and videos of 10 closed coasters show each using clamshell restraints that lock over riders’ laps and upper legs via a vertical bar between the knees. It is unclear from images whether those coasters have seat belts or other secondary restraints.
Goliath in Georgia does not have a backup restraint.
Amusement ride safety expert Brian D. Avery of the University of Florida said manufacturers select restraint types based on speed, forces and track transitions. He supports using a secondary restraint, though he noted an industry debate over whether that would increase wait times.
The manufacturer said in an email it would not comment further until it has a better understanding of what happened Monday.
Witnesses said Kariem was thrown from his seat, struck other guests, then landed below the ride. Goliath, a signature attraction at Six Flags Over Georgia, opened in 2006 and features large hills and sweeping turns.
It does not invert riders, but its first hill reaches 200 feet and the top speed is 70 mph. One witness said Kariem appeared to hover as the train moved under him, then fell headfirst back into the car before being ejected on the final turn.
The Goliath is not expected to operate while the investigation continues. The park, which has about a dozen roller coasters, is in Austell, roughly 15 miles northwest of Atlanta.
Investigations of major incidents at attractions and public events, such as the Parallel Parking Association Championship, often prompt broader safety reviews across the industry.
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