Six Flags is adding seat belts to several roller coasters following the fatal ejection of a Georgia man from a ride that used lap restraints as its primary protection.
The safety changes come fewer than two weeks after 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem was thrown from the Goliath coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia. Eight other Six Flags coasters featuring comparable restraint systems remain closed in the United States and Canada while investigators examine the incident.
Witnesses reported seeing Kariem lift out of his seat and fall headfirst into the car before being ejected from the ride on Oct. 12. Several guests who rode Goliath earlier that day also raised concerns about the coaster’s restraints.
A man died after reportedly falling from the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia at about 4 p.m. Monday. Outreach to the park. (Getty Images)
The restraint system, made by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard, was intended to create the feeling of riding on a “flying carpet” while “guaranteeing optimum security,” according to a U.S. patent the company received in 2001.
Six Flags now says it is adding another layer of protection.
“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,” Six Flags Entertainment President and CEO John Reilly said in a statement Friday.
Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia, shown above, was involved in a deadly incident Monday that led to temporary closures at other parks. (Alamy)
The company has not identified which other coasters will receive seat belts, nor has it announced when the closed attractions could reopen.
All nine affected coasters were built by Bolliger & Mabillard. Their designs use padded restraints that secure riders across the lap and upper legs, with a bar positioned between the knees to hold the system in place.
Six Flags said independent engineers and inspectors have been brought in to assess safety procedures throughout its theme-park system.
The fatal incident at Six Flags Over Georgia has renewed scrutiny of roller coaster safety and possible liability. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
The eight other coasters are located at Six Flags parks in Illinois, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio and Ontario, Canada. Goliath also remains closed as state and local authorities investigate Kariem’s death.
The death also led to precautionary shutdowns at parks outside the Six Flags chain.
SeaWorld Orlando temporarily closed its Mako coaster, which uses a similar restraint design, then reopened it Tuesday after a week out of service. A coaster at La Ronde in Montreal was also closed temporarily.
