Roller coasters shut down as authorities investigate fatal fall at Georgia amusement park

Closures spread across parks

Sea World Orlando and La Ronde in Montreal confirmed Thursday that they had temporarily closed rides, bringing the total number of halted coasters to 11. Sea World’s Mako has no announced reopening date; La Ronde said its Goliath is offline for a safety review with the manufacturer.

Nine closed coasters share a manufacturer and a similar restraint system with the Georgia Goliath. Both parks said their closed rides were made by Bolliger & Mabillard, which also built the Georgia ride and eight other coasters shut by Six Flags. The manufacturer declined to answer questions Thursday.

Riders describe restraint concerns

Police and a state regulatory agency are investigating the death of Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, a 42-year-old school employee from Atlanta. Witnesses said he was ejected from the Goliath on Monday. Some riders who had used it earlier that day reported concerns about its restraints.

Erica Billups said her son tried to lock a seat restraint, but it repeatedly came unlocked, so he moved. She said the ride departed with that seat empty and its harness raised. Summer Bates, who saw Kariem fall, said her children tried to tighten their restraints; she later found them insecure when she rode the coaster.

Six Flags did not immediately respond to an email asking about restraint issues. The company said it would not comment further until it had a better understanding of what happened Monday.

Similar systems under review

Photos and videos of most closed coasters show clamshell restraints, which sit in front of riders and lock over the lap and upper legs. The available images do not make clear whether the rides have seat belts or other backup restraints. The Georgia Goliath has no such backup.

Theme park consultant Dennis Speigel said the similar restraint systems were almost certainly why most of the rides were closed. He said they would likely stay shut until investigators determine what went wrong, adding that the issue was apparently related to the restraint.

Brian D. Avery, a University of Florida professor and ride-safety expert, said manufacturers select restraints by weighing speed, force and track transitions. He supports backup restraints, though he said the industry has long debated whether they would increase wait times.

Georgia ride and investigation

Kariem was thrown from his seat, struck other patrons and landed below the ride, according to the report. The Goliath opened in 2006 and rises to 200 feet, with a top speed of 70 miles per hour. It has hills and turns but does not take riders upside down.