Six Flags Over Georgia reopened to visitors on Friday following the death of a 42-year-old man who fell from its Goliath roller coaster, as authorities continued investigating the circumstances of the incident and safety concerns surrounding the ride’s restraint system.
Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, a school employee from Atlanta, was ejected from the roller coaster. Witnesses reported seeing him thrown from his seat before striking other park visitors and landing beneath the attraction.
- Six Flags Over Georgia reopened Friday after a 42-year-old man was fatally ejected from the Goliath roller coaster, with the ride expected to remain closed.
- At least 11 roller coasters in the US and Canada, all manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard and equipped with similar restraints, have been temporarily shut down.
- Goliath passed its March annual inspection without safety violations, although earlier inspections identified 18 maintenance-related issues between 2016 and 2021.
The amusement park had already been scheduled to close Tuesday through Thursday and resumed operations Friday evening as planned. Goliath, one of its main attractions, was not expected to operate when the park reopened.
Vehicles began arriving ahead of opening, with some visitors waiting outside approximately an hour before the gates opened. Most patrons interviewed said the fatal incident had not prompted them to cancel their plans, although some expressed concerns about riding roller coasters.
Six Flags safety investigation continues after fatal accident
Richard Pretlow, president of Six Flags Over Georgia, issued a statement expressing condolences to Kariem’s family, thanking visitors for their support and reaffirming the park’s safety commitments.
While serious incidents of this nature are exceedingly rare, we never take responsibility to our guests for granted and remain committed to continuously strengthening our operations and safety practices.
Richard Pretlow, president of Six Flags Over Georgia
Authorities have not established what caused Kariem to fall. Some passengers who rode Goliath earlier that Monday reported concerns about its restraints, although investigators have not determined whether the restraint system contributed to the accident.
During a Friday news conference, Cobb County officials declined to disclose investigative findings.
Assistant Police Chief Damon Ballard said local police would await conclusions from state investigators before determining whether criminal charges should be considered.
Lisa Cupid, chairperson of the Cobb County commission, was asked how she would reassure visitors about the amusement park’s safety. She advised patrons to “use their judgment.”
Goliath passed its latest state safety inspection
An Associated Press review of records obtained from Georgia’s amusement ride inspection agency found that Goliath passed its most recent annual state inspection in March without any identified safety violations.
Historical inspection reports documented 18 safety violations between 2016 and 2021. The findings included corrosion affecting welds, loose handrails in passenger waiting areas and maintenance requirements involving grout and padding surrounding the ride’s support structure.
According to the inspection records, Six Flags addressed each violation within days. None of the documented deficiencies appeared to involve the roller coaster’s passenger restraint system.
The absence of restraint-related violations in those records does not establish what caused the fatal incident, which remains under investigation.
The accident has also led to precautionary closures beyond Georgia. At least 11 roller coasters across the US and Canada, including Goliath, have temporarily suspended operations.
All were manufactured by Swiss engineering company Bolliger & Mabillard and use similar passenger restraint systems.
Bolliger & Mabillard’s clamshell restraints face scrutiny
The affected roller coasters feature clamshell-style restraints designed to secure passengers across their laps and upper legs.
Photographs and videos show that each seat has a padded restraint attached to a vertical support positioned between the passenger’s knees. The mechanism locks the restraint over the rider’s lap and upper legs.
Available images do not establish whether the other temporarily closed roller coasters have seat belts or additional safety restraints. Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia does not have a secondary restraint system.
Bolliger & Mabillard received a US patent for its clamshell restraint design in September 2001. In its patent application, the manufacturer argued that conventional roller coaster restraints often hold passengers in “very tight retention devices” that “detract from their comfort.”
The company described its alternative design as providing riders with a sensation “that he is seated on a flying carpet or that he is at the controls of a kind of flying scooter, while still guaranteeing optimum security.”
The patent documentation therefore presented passenger comfort and secure restraint as compatible design objectives.
Bolliger & Mabillard has declined to comment on Kariem’s death while the circumstances remain unclear.
In an emailed response, the company said it would not discuss the incident until it had a “better understanding of what transpired.”
Goliath roller coaster reaches 200 feet and 70 mph
Goliath opened at Six Flags Over Georgia in 2006 and has remained one of the amusement park’s principal attractions.
The steel roller coaster rises above the park entrance and features a sequence of elevated hills and turns rather than inversions that take passengers upside down.
Its initial hill reaches 200 feet (61 meters), and the ride has a maximum speed of 70 miles per hour (112 kilometers).
The investigation must determine how Kariem was ejected from the attraction and whether its operating conditions or restraint system contributed to the fatal fall.
For now, Goliath remains among the roller coasters affected by temporary closures, while state investigators examine the accident and Cobb County police await findings before deciding whether criminal charges are warranted.
