What Six Flags announced
Six Flags said Friday that it will install seat belts on Goliath, the roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia outside Atlanta. A man was thrown from the ride earlier this month and fell to his death. According to NBC News, the company disclosed the change in a press release that presented it as one piece of broader new safety measures.
Goliath remains closed. So do several other rides at company parks, which Six Flags has described as a precaution. The company did not immediately answer NBC News' request for details on which coasters are still shut or when they might reopen.
John Reilly, Six Flags president and CEO, addressed the public in a statement. "I know trust is earned through actions and not words. As CEO of Six Flags, I take that responsibility personally," he said. He added that the company will keep updating the public on its progress and will hold itself to the commitments it has made.
The incident at Six Flags Over Georgia
Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, was ejected from Goliath and fell to his death on Oct. 12, according to NBC News. Witnesses said his body struck other people on the ride before it came to rest on the roof of a haunted house attraction below.
Kariem worked at Wesley International Academy, a school in the Atlanta Public Schools district, the district said. The source material does not say what caused him to be thrown from the coaster.
Other rides closed and a wider review
Shortly after the incident, a company spokesperson identified a list of coasters that were being closed at other parks. They were Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America, Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain, and Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure. The list also included Leviathan and Behemoth at Canada's Wonderland, Fury 325 and Thunder Striker at Carowinds, and Orion and Diamondback at Kings Island.
Even with those closures, Six Flags said that as of Friday more than 220 of its roller coasters remain open to riders. Because the company did not immediately confirm the current closure list, it is unclear from the source whether every ride named earlier is still offline.
The company also said it has hired independent engineers and ride inspection specialists. In the press release, Six Flags said they are conducting a comprehensive review of current safety procedures "across our entire portfolio of rides and attractions, across all of our parks." The release did not give a timeline for that review, according to the material NBC News reported.
Earlier scrutiny of Six Flags coasters
NBC News noted that this was not the first time the company's coasters have drawn headlines. In September, riders sued Six Flags, alleging they suffered brain injuries on the X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California. The ride is known for seats that rotate 360 degrees, a 215-foot drop, and sudden flips and rotations.
The source describes the lawsuit only as a set of allegations and does not link it to the Georgia death. Nothing in the reporting indicates how that case has been resolved.
What remains unclear
Several questions are still open based on the information available. Six Flags has not said when Goliath in Georgia will reopen, when the seat belts will be installed, or when the other closed rides might return to service. It also has not said what the outside review has found so far.
The company has said it will continue to report on its progress, and further details may emerge as the independent review proceeds.
