Six Flags to add seat belts to roller coaster after Georgia man falls to his death

Six Flags said Friday that it will add seat belts to a roller coaster from which a man was ejected and fell to his death earlier this month.

A total of three rides will get belts, including Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia, just outside Atlanta, from which the man fell; Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure; and Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America, Six Flags spokesperson Kristin Fizgerald said by email Saturday night.

In an earlier press release, the theme park said it was adding seat as part of broader new safety measures. Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, was ejected from the ride and fell to his death Oct. 12.

“I know trust is earned through actions and not words. As CEO of Six Flags, I take that responsibility personally,” John Reilly, Six Flags president and CEO, said in a statement. “We will continue to communicate about our progress and hold ourselves accountable to our commitments to you.”

Goliath remains closed, in addition to several other rides across five other parks “out of an abundance of caution.”

A company spokesperson previously said the following rides were closed shortly after the incident: Georgia’s Goliath, Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America; Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure; Leviathan and Behemoth at Canada’s Wonderland; Fury 325 and Thunder Striker at Carowinds; and Orion and Diamondback at Kings Island.

Six Flags did not immediately return a request for comment about when the coasters might reopen.

Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California is not the same type of coaster as Georgia’s Goliath and already has lap restraints and seat belts, Fizgerald said.

As of Friday, more than 220 of the company’s roller coasters remain in operation, according to Six Flags.

The company has “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,” according to the press release.

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Last week, the Georgia Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire shared several “inspection details” reports for the Goliath roller coaster between 2014 and 2026.

The reports concern Goliath’s mechanical condition, structural supports, access areas and maintenance findings. They show that Goliath repeatedly passed annual inspections even as inspectors identified issues ranging from corrosion and worn drive wheels to issues involving ride supports and foundations.

The March 2026 inspection also resulted in a “pass,” although an inspector noted that bushings — which are specialized mechanical bearings used to absorb shock — needed to be replaced.

Kariem worked at Wesley International Academy in the Atlanta Public Schools district, the district said. His body hit other people on the ride before landing on the roof of a haunted house attraction below, according to witnesses .

The October incident was not the first time Six Flags’ roller coasters made headlines.

In September, Six Flags was sued by riders alleged that they suffered brain injuries on the X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California. The ride, since retired, featured 360-degree rotating seats, a 215-foot drop and sudden flips and rotations.