Six Flags is adding seat belts to several roller coasters after a Georgia man died in a fall from a ride that used lap restraints as its primary means of keeping riders secured.
The safety changes come less than two weeks after 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem was ejected from the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia. Eight other Six Flags coasters with similar restraint systems remain closed in the United States and Canada while investigators examine the incident.
Witnesses said Kariem appeared to rise from his seat before falling headfirst into the coaster car and then being thrown from the ride on Oct. 12. Other passengers who rode Goliath earlier that day also raised concerns about the restraints.
A man died after reportedly falling from the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia around 4 p.m. Monday. Outreach to park. (Getty Images)
The restraint system, produced by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard, was designed to create the sensation of riding on a “flying carpet” while still “guaranteeing optimum security,” according to a U.S. patent the company received in 2001.
Six Flags now says it is adding further safety measures.
“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.
The Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, seen above, was the site of a deadly incident Monday that prompted temporary closures at other parks. (Alamy)
Six Flags has not identified the other coasters that will receive seat belts or provided a timeline for reopening the rides that remain closed.
All nine coasters removed from service were built by Bolliger & Mabillard. Each features a padded restraint that locks across a rider’s lap and upper legs, with a bar positioned between the knees to hold it in place.
The company said it has brought in independent engineers and inspectors to review safety procedures throughout its theme parks.
A fatal roller coaster incident at Six Flags Over Georgia is raising questions about ride safety and potential liability. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
The eight additional coasters are closed at Six Flags parks in Illinois, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio and Ontario, Canada. Goliath also remains out of operation as state and local authorities investigate Kariem’s death.
The incident also led to precautionary closures at parks outside the Six Flags chain.
SeaWorld Orlando temporarily closed its Mako roller coaster, which uses a comparable restraint system, and reopened it Tuesday after a weeklong shutdown. A roller coaster at La Ronde in Montreal was also temporarily taken out of service.