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Six Flags reveals major roller-coaster safety overhaul after rider’s death

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Six Flags reveals major roller-coaster safety overhaul after rider’s death

Six Flags is adding seat belts to some of its roller coasters following the death of a rider earlier this month.

The new safety changes to rides across the country come after an October 12 incident in Georgia in which a 42-year-old rider named Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem was apparently ejected from his seat on the Goliath roller coaster, resulting in his death. Four other riders were also reportedly injured.

“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,” John Reilly, president and CEO of Six Flags Entertainment Corp., said in a statement.

The Goliath—which rises to 200 feet and can reach speeds of up to 70 miles an hour—is one of nine rides across five parks that are temporarily closed as safety investigations proceed. 

According to PBS, all nine rides feature similar clamshell restraints and were manufactured by the same company, Swiss roller coaster design consultancy Bolliger & Mabillard. The clamshell restraints sit on top of a metal vertical bar placed between a rider’s legs, which has a locked restraint that lays on top of the rider’s legs to keep them in place during the ride.

A timeline for when the rides will reopen has not been established yet, Kristin Fitzgerald, Director Public Relations and Communications, Six Flags, told Fast Company.

“The timing of when these seat belts will be installed may vary by attraction based on the reviews, engineering requirements, availability of components and applicable approval processes,” Fitzgerald added.


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