More Roller Coasters Shut Down After Fatal Fall at Georgia Amusement Park

At least 12 roller coasters have been temporarily shut down across the United States and Canada as authorities investigate the death of a man who fell from a ride at Six Flags Over Georgia, raising wider questions about amusement park safety and passenger restraints.

The closures followed the death of Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, a 42-year-old school employee from Atlanta, who was fatally ejected from the Goliath roller coaster at the Georgia amusement park on Monday, October 12. Police said several other people were injured in the incident.

SeaWorld Orlando in Florida and La Ronde in Montreal, Canada, confirmed on Thursday that they had temporarily taken rides out of service, bringing the reported total to 12. Several other closures were ordered by Six Flags across its parks while the investigation continues.

Ten of the rides reported closed share the same manufacturer, Switzerland-based Bolliger & Mabillard, and use a similar restraint system to the Goliath coaster involved in the fatal incident. The company has confirmed that it is investigating but said it would not comment further until it better understands what happened.

Concerns have also emerged from people who rode Goliath shortly before the fatal incident. Erica Billups told The Associated Press that her children experienced a problem with a restraint on one seat about an hour before the death. She said her son moved to another seat after the restraint repeatedly failed to stay locked. The claim has not been established as the cause of the fatal incident, and investigators have yet to announce their findings.

The Georgia Department of Insurance and Safety Fire is examining the ride, its operation, equipment and records, while local police are investigating the circumstances of the death. State officials said the coaster’s most recent inspection, conducted on March 16, 2026, recorded no violations or deficiencies. The ride remains closed while the investigation proceeds.

Goliath opened in 2006 and rises approximately 200 feet, reaching speeds of up to 70 miles per hour. It uses an over-the-lap restraint system and does not have a separate backup restraint, according to the Associated Press. Ride safety experts say restraint designs are selected according to the forces and movements of each attraction, but the incident has renewed debate about whether additional safeguards should be used.

Six Flags Over Georgia is scheduled to reopen on Friday, October 16, but Goliath will remain out of service with no reopening date announced. The park has said it is cooperating with authorities and expressed condolences to the victim’s family and others affected by the tragedy.

Investigators have not yet determined what caused Kariem to fall from the ride. The temporary closures are precautionary measures, and it remains unclear when the other suspended attractions will resume operations.