Six Flags has announced new safety changes at its parks, including plans to add seat belts to some of its roller coasters — this after a Georgia man’s recent fatal fall from the Goliath ride.
Georgia Man Fatally Falls From Six Flag’s Goliath Roller Coaster
As we previously shared, 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem passed away while riding the Goliath coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia. On October 12, Kariem was killed after being thrown from his seat, striking other riders, and falling underneath the 200-foot-tall roller coaster.
According to the Roller Coaster Database, the Goliath coaster reaches a top speed of 70 mph on a 4,500-foot track. The ride also drops twice, once at 170 feet and again at 175 feet.
Police responded to the scene at around 3:58 p.m. and found Kariem beneath the attraction — on top of the roof of a haunted house attraction below. Authorities said he was unresponsive and not breathing.
Kariem was a technology teacher at Wesley International Academy, inside the Atlanta Public Schools system. Elicia Day, a family friend, later revealed Kariem had survived many near death experiences. She said he had beaten cancer and survived a serious case of COVID-19. He also made it out of a car fire with his daughter just three weeks before his roller coaster death.
RELATED: Six Flags Over Georgia To Reopen Friday As Goliath Coaster Will Remain Closed After Fatal Fall
Six Flags CEO Announces Safety Changes At Parks Across America After Man Fatally Falls From Georgia’s Goliath Roller Coaster
Following Kariem’s fatal fall, Six Flags Over Georgia evacuated other riders and shut down the Goliath roller coaster. The incident arrived days ahead of the park’s scheduled offseason closure. However, by October 15, Six Flags Over Georgia announced its reopening, but noted that its Goliath coaster would “remain temporarily closed” with “no anticipated reopening date.”
The Cobb County Police Department reported that its investigators would “continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident.” Georgia’s Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire, the agency responsible for overseeing amusement ride safety in the state, also confirmed that it was “actively investigating” the incident. Six Flags noted that it was continuing to work with authorities as the investigation moves forward.
Since then, on Friday (October 23), Six Flags President and CEO John Reilly spoke out. Reilly announced a reinforced focus on “Safety” and “Commitment to Ongoing Improvement” following Kariem’s death.
“To Our Guests and Passholders, Our hearts remain with the family and loved ones of Hassan Kariem, those injured, and everyone impacted by the tragic incident at Six Flags Over Georgia. What happened has deeply affected all of us at Six Flags. Safety has always been fundamental to the experience we provide for our guests. Across our parks, guests have taken more than one billion rides over the past four years, supported by comprehensive safety, maintenance and inspection programs. That commitment requires constant vigilance and determination to continually improve.
As we continue to support ongoing investigations, we are building on our commitment to safety in all we do including a focus on these priorities:
- Safety at the Core: Safety guides every decision we make, from the design and operation of our attractions to the training and procedures our teams follow every day. 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. Safety also depends on the dedicated teams who operate and maintain our attractions every day. Our ride operators complete a comprehensive, multi-stage training program that includes classroom instruction, hands-on training and supervised, on-the-job experience, with additional instruction and evaluation provided as necessary. We remain focused on reinforcing these practices and supporting our employees in their responsibility to put safety first.
- Commitment to Ongoing Improvement: Our comprehensive safety and maintenance programs are built on a commitment to ongoing evaluation and improvement. We have engaged independent engineers and ride inspection specialists to comprehensively review current safety procedures across our entire portfolio of rides and attractions, across all of our parks. We are committed to carefully evaluating their findings and taking appropriate action to further strengthen our standards and culture of safety.
We will continue to share updates on our progress.
An Update on Our Parks
Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia remains closed pending necessary safety reviews and clearances. Eight additional rides at five other parks are temporarily closed out of an abundance of caution. Our parks remain open, including throughout Halloween weekend, with more than 220 roller coasters operating across our parks. I know trust is earned through actions and not words. As CEO of Six Flags, I take that responsibility personally. We will continue to communicate about our progress and hold ourselves accountable to our commitments to you.
Sincerely, John Reilly, President and CEO, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation”
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