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

Six Flags Entertainment Corporation said it will equip the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia with seat belts after a 42-year-old rider was ejected and died on Oct. 12. The company also plans to add seat belts to other coasters that use the same clamshell restraint system.

"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 on Friday.

Goliath remains closed while state and local authorities investigate the incident. In addition, eight other coasters at five Six Flags parks in the United States and Canada have been temporarily shut down; all were built by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard and feature comparable restraints.

Six Flags said independent engineers and inspectors have been engaged to review safety procedures across its parks, though it has not provided a timeline for reopening the affected rides. Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the Georgia coaster failure, but witnesses reported the rider rising out of his seat before being ejected.

The incident prompted non-Six Flags parks that operate similar clamshell-restrained coasters, such as SeaWorld Orlando and La Ronde in Montreal, to temporarily close one ride each for safety checks. SeaWorld reopened its Mako coaster after a week of closure.