Six Flags signals Goliath roller coaster will reopen — with seat belts — after fatal fall at Georgia park

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Six Flags will add seat belts to Goliath and other roller coasters with similar restraints following the death of a man who fell from the ride at Six Flags Over Georgia earlier this month.

The company’s CEO said in a statement Friday that Goliath remains closed pending safety reviews and clearances following the death of Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, a 42-year-old Atlanta resident and “cherished member” of a public charter school, who fell from the coaster on October 12 . Several other parkgoers were injured, including four minors, police said.

In a statement addressed to guests and passholders, Six Flags President and CEO John Reilly said the company is reinforcing safety precautions across its parks, including installing seat belts on the Goliath, and has engaged independent engineers and ride inspection specialists to review safety procedures across its attractions.

Goliath, a 3.5-minute ride reaching 70 mph and a height of 200 feet, features a waist restraint but does not have an over-the-shoulder harness . The addition of seat belts marks a significant change to the ride’s restraint system as investigators continue to examine what happened.

“Safety has always been fundamental to the experience we provide for our guests,” Reilly said, adding that the company is committed to evaluating the findings and taking appropriate action.

“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,” he continued.

Goliath and eight other rides at five additional Six Flags parks remain temporarily closed out of an abundance of caution, according to the company. Six Flags said its parks remain open, with more than 220 roller coasters operating across its properties.

Preliminary information gathered at the scene from witnesses and employees indicated Kariem had been ejected from the ride, the Cobb County Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit said. He struck other riders before falling beneath the roller coaster, where he was found “unresponsive and not breathing,” police said in a statement.

One witness, CiCi Nelson , told CNN she was in line to ride Goliath when a cart pulled up with an empty seat and other riders in hysterics.

She said the safety bar on the empty seat appeared loose, and another young passenger appeared to be covered in blood and injured. Emergency personnel quickly arrived, and she and others were asked to evacuate the area.

The announcement of the new seat belt installations follows the reopening of Six Flags Over Georgia last Friday, when visitors returned for the park’s annual Halloween Fright Fest events. Goliath remained closed as families entered the park, and officials offered no new findings about the fatal incident.

What we know about the fatal roller coaster incident at Six Flags Over Georgia

Georgia authorities are investigating the death, reviewing evidence, equipment and documentation to determine whether state safety requirements were followed, according to a statement last week from Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King. Cobb County police are assisting state and park officials.

CNN has reached out to Cobb County, Cobb County Police and the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner for an update on the investigation into Kariem’s death and comment on Six Flags’ plans to add seat belts to Goliath and other coasters.

As the investigation remains underway, CNN analysis has revealed alleged maintenance issues and guest injuries at several Six Flags parks.

CNN’s review of safety records from 2016 through 2026 found that Goliath appeared to have passed annual state safety inspections. The coaster’s most recent inspection, on March 16, reported no violations, deficiencies, citations or red tags, according to King. A separate inspection report earlier this year noted that bushings, which are components that help reduce vibration, on the coaster needed replacement, according to CNN affiliate WSB.

“I know trust is earned through actions and not words,” Reilly said. “As CEO of Six Flags, I take that responsibility personally.”

CNN’s Isa Mudannayake, Karina Tsui, Isabel Rosales, and Julianna Bragg contributed to this report.

Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images

本月初，一名男子在佐治亚州六旗乐园乘坐“歌利亚”过山车时坠亡。事后，六旗乐园决定在“歌利亚”和其他带有类似约束装置的过山车上加装安全带。

该公司首席执行官周五在一份声明中表示，在42岁的亚特兰大居民哈桑·吉哈德·伊本·卡里姆（Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem）于10月12日从过山车上坠落身亡后，歌利亚过山车仍处于关闭状态，等待安全审查和许可。伊本·卡里姆是公立特许学校的“受人尊敬的成员”。警方称，另有几名游客受伤，其中包括四名未成年人。

六旗总裁兼首席执行官约翰·雷利在一份致游客和年卡持有者的声明中表示，公司正在加强旗下所有公园的安全预防措施，包括在“歌利亚”过山车上安装安全带，并已聘请独立工程师和游乐设施检查专家审查旗下所有景点的安全程序。

“歌利亚”过山车全程3.5分钟，最高时速可达70英里/小时，最高高度达200英尺。该过山车配备腰部安全带，但没有肩部安全带。加装安全带标志着该过山车安全系统的重大改进，调查人员仍在调查事故原因。

“安全一直是为顾客提供优质体验的根本所在，”雷利说道，并补充说，公司致力于评估调查结果并采取适当行动。

“安全也取决于每天运营和维护我们游乐设施的敬业团队。我们的游乐设施操作员要完成一项全面的多阶段培训计划，包括课堂教学、实践操作培训和在职监督，并根据需要提供额外的指导和评估，”他继续说道。

据该公司称，出于谨慎考虑，六旗集团旗下另外五个主题公园的“歌利亚”过山车和其他八项游乐设施仍暂时关闭。六旗集团表示，其所有主题公园均正常开放，旗下超过220座过山车仍在运营。

科布县警察局重案组表示，根据现场目击者和工作人员提供的初步信息，卡里姆是从游乐设施上被甩出来的。他撞到了其他乘客，然后坠落到过山车下方，警方在一份声明中称，他被发现时“已无反应，停止呼吸”。

一位名叫 CiCi Nelson 的目击者告诉 CNN，她当时正在排队等候乘坐“歌利亚”过山车，这时一辆车停了下来，车上有一个空位，其他乘客都歇斯底里地大笑起来。

她说，空座位上的安全杆似乎松动了，另一名年轻乘客浑身是血，看起来受了伤。急救人员很快赶到，她和其他人被要求撤离该区域。

在佐治亚州六旗乐园上周五重新开放，游客们返回乐园参加一年一度的万圣节惊魂夜活动后，官方宣布了新的安全带安装计划。然而，在游客入园期间，过山车“歌利亚”仍然关闭，官方也没有就这起致命事故提供任何新的调查结果。

关于佐治亚州六旗乐园致命过山车事故，我们目前了解到的情况

佐治亚州保险和消防安全专员约翰·金上周发表声明称，佐治亚州当局正在调查这起死亡事件，审查证据、设备和文件，以确定是否遵守了州安全规定。科布县警方正在协助州政府和公园官员进行调查。

CNN已联系科布县、科布县警察局和佐治亚州保险和安全消防专员办公室，以了解卡里姆死亡事件调查的最新进展，并就六旗乐园计划在“歌利亚”和其他过山车上加装安全带一事发表评论。

调查仍在进行中，CNN 的分析揭露了多家六旗主题公园涉嫌存在维护问题和游客受伤的情况。

CNN对2016年至2026年的安全记录进行审查后发现，“歌利亚”过山车似乎通过了每年的州安全检查。据金（King）称，该过山车最近一次检查是在3月16日，结果显示没有违规、缺陷、罚单或红色标签。CNN附属电视台WSB报道称，今年早些时候的一份独立检查报告指出，该过山车上的衬套（一种有助于减少振动的部件）需要更换。

“我知道信任是通过行动而不是言语赢得的，”雷利说。“作为六旗集团的首席执行官，我对此深感责任重大。”

CNN 的 Isa Mudannayake、Karina Tsui、Isabel Rosales 和 Julianna Bragg 对本报告做出了贡献。