Six Flags to Add Seat Belts to Goliath Roller Coaster After Fatal Accident

Six Flags Entertainment Corporation said it will add seat belts to the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia and to other coasters that use the same clamshell restraint system. The decision comes after 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem was ejected from his seat and died on Oct. 12.

"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," said John Reilly, president and CEO of Six Flags, in a statement released Friday.

Goliath remains closed while state and local authorities continue their investigation. Six Flags has also temporarily shut down eight additional coasters at five parks in the United States and Canada; all were manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard and feature the same clamshell restraints.

The company said independent engineers and inspectors have been engaged to review safety procedures across its parks, though it did not specify when the closed rides might reopen.

Witnesses reported seeing the victim rise out of his seat before falling back into the cart and being ejected. Earlier riders that day expressed concerns about the restraint system. The clamshell restraints lock a padded bar over the rider’s lap and upper legs and were originally patented in 2001 as providing a sense of “flying carpet” security.

Following the incident, non-Six Flags parks SeaWorld Orlando and La Ronde in Montreal also temporarily closed one coaster each that uses similar restraints. SeaWorld reopened its Mako coaster after a week of downtime.