Six Flags is preparing to install seatbelts on a Georgia roller coaster after a rider was thrown from the attraction and killed—an added safety step that could also increase wait times, according to a theme park expert.
Hassan Kariem, 42, died in the October 12 accident on the Goliath coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia in Austell. He was ejected from the ride in front of horrified visitors, including members of his family.
John Reilly, chief executive of Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, said Friday that seatbelts would be fitted to Goliath. The ride has been closed since the fatal incident.
“We are strengthening safety procedures throughout our parks and taking further steps, including installing seat belts on Goliath and other coasters that use a similar restraint system,” Reilly said.
Reilly also said Six Flags ride operators undergo several phases of training, covering “classroom instruction, hands-on training, and supervised, on-the-job experience,” with further teaching and assessments when needed.
Goliath is among nine attractions temporarily taken out of service at five Six Flags parks while the company conducts safety evaluations.
Robert Niles, editor of ThemeParkInsider.com, told WSB-TV that some roller coasters do not use seatbelts partly because removing that step can help keep queues moving.
“The seat belt adds another layer of protection. Until now, the evidence suggested the clamshell restraint was sufficient on its own, without the need for an additional lap belt—which would add another minute or two as riders fasten and release it. But after what has happened, many theme parks may reassess that decision,” Niles said.
Hassan Kariem, 42, was killed in an accident on The Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia on October 12
The park’s CEO said Friday that seatbelts will be installed on several rides after Kariem’s death. Riders are shown being evacuated following the accident
Robert Niles, editor of ThemeParkInsider.com, told WSB-TV that the added restraint “would take another moment or two to connect and disconnect at the end of the ride”
Visitors told the news outlet they welcomed the decision, with some saying the new restraints could give them enough confidence to ride Goliath again.
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“Once the seatbelts are installed, I’ll definitely ride it again,” one woman at the park said.
Six Flags also plans to bring in independent engineers and ride-safety specialists to examine attraction procedures throughout its park network, according to Reilly.
“I understand that trust is built through action, not simply words. As CEO of Six Flags, I personally accept that responsibility,” Reilly wrote.
Six Flags Over Georgia is scheduled to welcome visitors during Halloween weekend, as are 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 mark the 13th birthday of his fiancée’s niece, his future brother-in-law Joshua Nelson told CNN.
Witnesses said Kariem was thrown from his seat and struck the coaster’s metal structure several times before hitting the ground. Some people nearby were reportedly covered in blood.
The Goliath roller coaster reaches speeds of up to 70mph and rises more than 200 feet, making it the tallest roller coaster in Georgia
Goliath can reach a top speed of 70 mph and climb more than 200 feet above the ground, earning it the title of Georgia’s tallest roller coaster.
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.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Six Flags Entertainment Corporation for comment.