Six Flags Adds Seat Belts to Goliath Coaster and Orders Safety Reviews at All Parks

Six Flags says it will add seat belts to the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, where a man fell to his death earlier this month, and will bring in outside experts to review safety at all of its parks. The company's CEO, John Reilly, announced the steps in a letter and press release, according to BBC News and NBC News.

Goliath stays closed while the reviews continue, and eight other coasters at five other parks remain shut as a precaution, the BBC reported. The announcement was dated Friday in the BBC and NBC accounts, while ABC News described it as coming Saturday.

The key numbers

• 42: the age of Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, who was ejected from Goliath and killed on Oct. 12, police have said, according to the BBC and NBC.
• Four: the number of other passengers injured as he fell, the BBC reported.
• Eight: the number of other coasters still closed, which ABC News said will receive seat belts or other restraints. The BBC put them at five other parks.
• 34 and more than 220: the parks Six Flags operates across North America and the coasters it runs in total, according to the BBC. NBC reported that more than 220 coasters remain in operation as of Friday.
• Over 28 million: the guests who visit Six Flags locations each year, according to the company's website, as cited by the BBC.

What is changing at Goliath and beyond

Goliath already uses lap bar restraints, the BBC and ABC reported. Six Flags says it will add seat belts to the ride and to similar coasters. The company also said it has hired independent engineers and ride inspection specialists to review procedures across its entire portfolio of rides and attractions.

In his statement, Reilly said he knows "trust is earned through actions and not words" and promised regular progress updates, NBC reported. The company said it is committed to acting on the experts' findings, according to ABC.

Goliath opened in 2006. The park's website lists a height of 200 feet and speeds up to 70 mph, ABC reported. The ride sits in Austell, west of Atlanta.

What the investigation has shown so far

Cobb County police said Kariem was ejected and struck other patrons before falling beneath the attraction. Witnesses told NBC his body hit other people on the ride before landing on the roof of a haunted house attraction below. A relative told ABC he was celebrating his niece's birthday with family and was sitting beside her. The school district where he worked said he was an employee of an Atlanta school. An investigation by the park and police is ongoing.

Last week, the Georgia Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire released inspection reports on Goliath covering 2014 through 2026, NBC reported. The reports show the ride repeatedly passed annual inspections even as inspectors noted problems ranging from corrosion and worn drive wheels to issues with supports and foundations. The March 2026 inspection also ended in a pass, although the inspector noted that bushings, which are mechanical bearings that absorb shock, needed to be replaced.

What this means for park visitors

Riders at Six Flags parks should expect some of the chain's biggest coasters to be unavailable for now. NBC reported that the company did not immediately say which rides remain closed or when they might reopen. Earlier closures, according to a company spokesperson cited by NBC, included Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America, Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure, Fury 325 and Thunder Striker at Carowinds, and Orion and Diamondback at Kings Island.

ABC reported that Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain has since reopened. Restraints on similar rides are due to be upgraded with seat belts or other equipment, and the outside review could bring further changes to how the rides are inspected and operated. Six Flags has not detailed a timeline for either.

Around Prague, based on reporting by BBC News, NBC News, ABC News