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Six Flags roller coaster set for one major change after man, 42, fell to his death
Six Flags has announced a major change to one of its roller coasters after a 42-year-old man fell to his death.
On October 12, Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem died after being ejected from his seat on the 200-foot-tall Goliath hypercoaster at the amusement park in Austell, Georgia.
Witnesses in the park reported seeing Kariem fall as the ride, which opened in 2006 and has a 200ft (60m) elevation, a 170ft plunge, a 540-degree spiral, and speeds of up to 70mph (112km/h), moved along its track.
One person told local station WXIA that the victim was visible in photos taken during the run. "He was in our pictures," they said. "He fell and hit the car three different times."
Another witness said he saw the man come out of his seat and then fall into another cart on the ride before falling to the ground.
"It was just super, super bizarre, traumatic. I mean, it took me a couple of seconds, I feel like, to process what was going on," he told the AP, per BBC News. "I cant believe that I just saw that."
Six Flags announces a safety procedure
Two weeks after his tragic incident, the chief executive of Six Flags has revealed that the company will now introduce seatbelts on Goliath.
"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 Corporation, said, per The Mirror.
Goliath remains shut down while state and local officials investigate the tragic death on October 12.
The CEO also confirmed that the company had hired independent engineers and ride inspection specialists to look into safety procedures across all its amusement parks.
All nine affected roller coasters were manufactured by the Swiss company Bolliger & Mabillard and feature similar "clamshell" restraints. These consist of a padded restraint that locks over riders' laps and upper legs, supported by a vertical bar positioned between their legs.
Grieving family remembers Hassan Kariem
Kariem's bereaved family said that he was a father, an educator, and had overcome significant personal challenges prior to the tragic incident.
His family shared that he had survived cancer twice and was in a car crash with his 10-year-old daughter three weeks before his death.
He worked for Wesley International Academy, a public charter school, for more than 12 years as an IT manager, technology teacher, and robotics coach.
His 35-year-old sister, Andrea Clark, spoke fondly of her brother's devotion to his family and his active role in helping raise his fiancée's daughter.
She recalled how hard he worked to support those around him and reflected on their close relationship.
"He's an amazing person," she told the New York Post. "The coolest part about me was him."
She expressed confusion over how the incident could happen to someone who was otherwise healthy and able-bodied. "He had other issues, but he's healthly, he was able-bodied. I don't understand it," she said. "He could do it all."
Niama Kariem, who referred to him as her cousin on Facebook, wrote a lengthy tribute, saying: "Hassan, you meant so much to so many people."
"You stood by both sides of your family with love and loyalty. And just as you always showed up for us, we will continue to show up for the people you loved," she wrote.
"Your life was so much bigger than the tragedy that took you from us," she concluded.
Our thoughts continue to be with Kariem's loved ones at this time.