Six Flags plans to install seatbelts on a Georgia roller coaster after a man was ejected from the ride and killed—an added safety measure that could also lengthen wait times, according to a theme-park expert.
Hassan Kariem, 42, died in a freak accident on the Goliath coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia in Austell on October 12. He was thrown from his seat in front of horrified riders, including members of his family.
John Reilly, chief executive of Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, said Friday that seatbelts would be installed on Goliath. The attraction has been closed since the fatal incident.
“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,” Reilly said.
Reilly said ride operators undergo a multistage training process involving “classroom instruction, hands-on training, and supervised, on-the-job experience,” along with further instruction and evaluations when needed.
Goliath is among nine rides temporarily taken out of service at five Six Flags parks while the company conducts safety reviews.
Robert Niles, editor of ThemeParkInsider.com, told WSB-TV that some roller coasters operate without seatbelts because eliminating the extra step can help move riders through the line more quickly.
“That seat belt is an added layer,” Niles said. Until now, he noted, evidence had indicated that the coaster’s clamshell restraint provided sufficient security without an additional lap belt. Installing one could add another minute or two to the process of fastening and releasing riders, he said, but the accident may prompt theme parks to reconsider that approach.
Hassan Kariem, 42, died in a freak accident on The Goliath, a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, on October 12
The park’s CEO announced on Friday that seatbelts will be added to several rides following Kariem’s death. Riders are pictured being evacuated from the ride after the accident
Robert Niles, the editor of ThemeParkInsider.com, told WSB-TV that the additional safety feature “would take another moment or two to connect and disconnect at the end of the ride”
Visitors told the outlet they welcomed the change. Some said the added restraint would make them comfortable enough to ride Goliath again.
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“Once they add those seatbelts, I’ll definitely be getting back on it,” one woman at the park said.
Six Flags also intends to bring in independent engineers and ride-inspection specialists to examine attraction safety procedures throughout its parks.
“I know trust is earned through actions and not words. As CEO of Six Flags, I take that responsibility personally,” Reilly wrote.
Six Flags Over Georgia is scheduled to open during Halloween weekend, alongside the company’s other parks across the United States.
Kariem worked in education technology at Wesley International Academy in Georgia. He had visited the park to celebrate the 13th birthday of his fiancée’s niece, according to Joshua Nelson, his future brother-in-law, who spoke with CNN.
Witnesses said Kariem was thrown from his seat and struck the coaster’s metal framework several times before falling to the ground. Several people at the scene were reportedly covered in his blood.
The Goliath roller coaster reaches top speeds of 70mph and climbs over 200 feet in the air, making it the tallest roller coaster in Georgia
Goliath reaches speeds of up to 70 mph and rises more than 200 feet, making it the tallest roller coaster in Georgia.
During the roughly 3 1/2-minute ride, riders ‘navigate through razor-sharp turns and soar over colossal hills,’ according to the Six Flags website.
It remains unclear exactly how Kariem fell from the ride, and investigators still haven’t said what went wrong on the coaster. Images show he was ejected headfirst from his seat while other riders watched.
The incident comes about one month after Six Flags Magic Mountain in California announced it was demolishing its notorious X2 roller coaster following a series of lawsuits alleging it caused severe injuries to riders.
Our News Outlet has reached out to Six Flags Entertainment Corporation for comment.
