Six Flags Entertainment Corporation announced it will install seat belts on the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia and other similar rides following the death of a rider earlier this month. The company's decision comes less than two weeks after 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem from Atlanta was ejected from his seat on the Goliath coaster, resulting in fatal injuries.
Key Takeaways
Six Flags announced it will install seat belts on several roller coasters following a fatal incident at Six Flags Over Georgia. A rider was ejected from the Goliath coaster, prompting an investigation and temporary closures of similar rides across multiple parks.
- Six Flags to add seat belts to Goliath and other coasters with similar restraints
- 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem died after being ejected from the Goliath roller coaster on Oct. 12
- Nine coasters, all manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, remain closed for inspection
- SeaWorld Orlando and La Ronde in Montreal temporarily closed similar rides as a precaution
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▼Source Claims Check
1 Difference FoundAll 3 publishers report consistent facts across 2 key claims. 1 point of difference noted.
| Claim | Status | Reason | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coasters Closed | 1 Difference | Los Angeles Times and PBS report nine coasters closed; Fox News says eight plus Goliath. | ▼ |
| Rider Death | Broad Agreement | 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem died after ejection from Goliath coaster on Oct. 12. | |
| Safety Review | Broad Agreement | Six Flags has enlisted independent engineers to review safety procedures. |
Coasters Closed
▼Los Angeles Times and PBS report nine coasters closed; Fox News says eight plus Goliath.
Rider Death
Broad Agreement42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem died after ejection from Goliath coaster on Oct. 12.
Safety Review
Broad AgreementSix Flags has enlisted independent engineers to review safety procedures.
This analysis is AI-generated and may not perfectly represent each source's reporting. Always read the original articles for full context.
John Reilly, president and CEO of Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, stated that the company is reinforcing safety precautions at its parks. "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 in a statement Friday.
The Goliath roller coaster remains shut down while state and local officials investigate the Oct. 12 incident. Witnesses reported seeing Kariem rise up out of his seat and fall headfirst back into the cart before being ejected. Some riders who had been on the coaster earlier that day expressed concerns about its restraints.
In addition to Goliath, eight other roller coasters at five different Six Flags parks in the U.S. and Canada have been temporarily closed. All nine coasters were manufactured by the Swiss company Bolliger & Mabillard and feature similar clamshell restraints that sit at the top of a vertical bar between each rider's knees. The restraint system is designed to give riders the sensation of sitting on a "flying carpet" while ensuring security, according to a U.S. patent granted to the company in 2001.
Six Flags has not specified which other coasters will receive seat belts or when the closed rides might reopen. The company has enlisted independent engineers and inspectors to review safety procedures for all rides at its theme parks. Non-Six Flags theme parks SeaWorld Orlando in Florida and La Ronde in Montreal, Canada, also temporarily closed one roller coaster each that use similar restraints.
How this summary was created
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