Six Flags to reopen Goliath rollercoaster – but now with seatbelts after recent rider death

Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem fell from ride earlier this month, spurring amusement park to temporarily shut it down

Six Flags will install seatbelts on its Goliath rollercoaster in Georgia , after a rider plummeted to his death earlier this month.

Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, a 42-year-old father and educator, was thrown from his seat on the Goliath, a coaster that plunges riders down 165ft, before a second drop of 180ft. On his way down, he collided with the ride’s other cars.

Georgia authorities have launched a probe into Kariem’s death. The gruesome fall prompted the park to temporarily close the Goliath and eight rides at five other parks.

“What happened has deeply affected all of us at Six Flags. Safety has always been fundamental to the experience we provide for our guests,” the theme park’s CEO, John Reilly, wrote on Friday.

Seatbelts will also be added to coasters with a similar restraint, he announced, although an exact list remains unclear. The Goliath features a lap bar that locks over a rider’s waist, a design from Bolliger & Mabillard.

The park has also commissioned an independent review of the safety procedures for all of its attractions.

“I know trust is earned through actions and not words,” Reilly said. “We will continue to communicate about our progress and hold ourselves accountable to our commitments to you.”

The Six Flags Over Georgia fatal incident comes as the theme park is being sued over alleged bodily harm from its X2 ride at Magic Mountain. A recent CNN investigation uncovered a long history of brain injuries and at least two deaths linked to the ride.

A group of past riders who say they sustained brain injuries on X2 has accused the park of having a defective coaster and negligence for allowing its continued operation, according to court documents.

Six Flags permanently shut down the embattled X2 coaster in September.