Six Flags Over Georgia reopened its gates Friday, but Goliath, the park’s signature hypercoaster, is still sitting idle while state investigators work to figure out what went wrong on the ride earlier this month.
The Austell park had been closed since October 12, when a rider died after falling from Goliath. Police identified him as Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, a 42-year-old school employee from Atlanta, according to the Associated Press. Four minors were also taken to hospitals with injuries that weren’t life-threatening, according to ABC News.
Saturday marked Six Flags Over Georgia’s first full day back. Other coasters returned to service and the park’s Fright Fest Halloween events went on as planned, while Goliath stayed closed.
“I hope they just figure out if it was a ride malfunction or what caused that tragedy,” visitor Mykaela Jones told WSB-TV.
Six Flags has said it’s committed to meeting or exceeding industry safety standards. The park hasn’t shared specifics about any changes to ride operations or safety procedures since the incident, according to WSB-TV.
Six Flags Over Georgia’s Goliath passed its latest annual state inspection in March with no safety violations, according to an AP review of documents from the Georgia Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire, which inspects amusement rides in the state. The agency said in a statement that the March 16 inspection turned up “no violations, deficiencies, citations, or red tags.”
READ: Peter Pan’s Flight Reopens After Extended Closing at Magic Kingdom
The AP’s review went back further, too. Inspections from 2016 to 2021 found 18 violations tied to the ride, including corrosion on welds, loose handrails in the queue, and maintenance needed on grout and padding around its support structure. Inspectors said Six Flags fixed each one within days, and none of them appeared to involve Goliath’s restraints.
A Clean Inspection, With One Note
One note from the March report is drawing attention. An inspector wrote that the ride needed to “replace bushings,” the parts that help keep metal components aligned and cut down on friction, according to WSB-TV. The released records don’t show whether those bushings were connected to the restraint system or played any role in the incident, and investigators haven’t said whether the comment is related.
State records show Goliath was built in 2005 and carries up to 36 riders at a time. It uses so-called “clamshell” lap restraints that lock over a rider’s lap and upper legs, and it has no seat belts or other backup restraints, according to the AP.
The Ride Stays Down Until the State Signs Off
Under Georgia’s amusement ride rules, any ride involved in an accident involving a rider’s loss of life or serious injury has to stay out of service until the state finishes a full investigation. The Commissioner’s office said Goliath “remains secured” and that the department “will determine when, and under what conditions, the ride may be permitted to resume operation.”
Commissioner John F. King has promised a careful process. “This is not an investigation in which we will cut corners, rush to conclusions, or leave questions unanswered without making every effort to resolve them,” he said, according to ABC News. Cobb County officials said they weren’t announcing any findings and that the state is leading the investigation.
Some guests who rode Goliath earlier that day said they’d had concerns about its restraints, according to the AP. Erica Billups said her son tried to lock one seat about an hour before the incident, then moved when it kept coming unlocked. The train went out with that seat empty.
Coasters Across North America Pulled for Review
The response reached well past Georgia. At least 11 roller coasters across North America were temporarily taken out of service, according to the AP, and nine of them were built by Bolliger & Mabillard, the Swiss company behind Goliath, with a similar restraint system. SeaWorld Orlando closed Mako with no set reopening date, and La Ronde in Montreal took its own Goliath offline for a safety review with the manufacturer.
A Six Flags spokesperson said the company “temporarily closed similar attractions across our parks” out of “an abundance of caution,” according to ABC News. Bolliger & Mabillard declined to answer questions about the shutdowns. The state says it’ll share its findings, and decide on any further action, once the investigation is complete.
What should Six Flags and the state do before Goliath is allowed to run again? Sound off and let us know!
UP NEXT: Josh Brolin Explains Why He Turned Down Hal Jordan Role in Lanterns
