Canada's Wonderland has shut down its Leviathan and Behemoth roller coasters indefinitely. This move follows a fatal accident at Six Flags Over Georgia where a guest was thrown from the Goliath coaster.
The Goliath Fatality and the Shared Restraint System
The current safety crisis was triggered by a deadly incident at Six Flags Over Georgia, where a rider was ejected from the Goliath coaster and died. According to the report, the tragedy has cast a shadow over other attractions because the affected rides share the same manufacturer and utilize a similar restraint system. This commonality has forced the operator to treat the incident not as an isolated failure, but as a potential systemic risk.
Because the restraint mechanisms are nearly identical, the company is treating the Goliath accident as a warning sign for other high-thrill rides. The focus is now on whether the design of these restraints is fundamentally flawed or if maintenance lapses contributed to the failure in Georgia.
Eight Rides Closed Across North America
In response to the Georgia tragedy, Six Flags has shuttered a total of eight rides across its North American portfolio. This includes the Leviathan and Behemoth coasters at Canada's Wonderland in Vaughan, Ontario, as well as six other rides located in the United States. As reported by the source, these closures have been in effect since October 12.
The decision to halt operations at Canada's Wonderland is particularly significant given the park's high volume of visitors.. While most coasters in Vaughan typically close for the winter following Halloween events,the lack of a definitive reopening timeline for Leviathan and Behemoth suggests that the safety concerns are being treated with extreme caution.
Adding Seatbelts to Nitro, Raging Bull, and Goliath
Six Flags is implementing immediate hardware changes to prevent further ejections. The company announced it is adding seatbelts as an extra restraint measure to the Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia, the Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America in Illinois, and Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey. These additions serve as a redundant safety layer to the primary restraint systems.
Interestingly, the report notes that the Leviathan and Behemoth coasters at Canada's Wonderland already possess these additional seatbelts. Despite this existing safety measure, the two Ontario coasters remain closed, indicating that the independent review is lookig beyond just the presence of seatbelts to the broader integrity of the ride systems.
The 2023 Cedar Fair Merger and Enterprise-Wide Safety
The current safety overhaul comes shortly after Canada's Wonderland became a Six Flags property following its merger with Cedar Fair in 2023. This corporate consolidation has allowed the company to implement an "enterprise-wide" look at safety procedures. Kristin Fitzgerald, a spokesperson for the theme park, stated that the independent review is intended to add another layer to an already comprehensive, multilayered inspection program.
By auditing all parks under the new merged entity, Six Flags aims to identify opportunities to strengthen its safety approach across different regions.. This move suggests that the company is attempting to standardize safety protocols across the combined Cedar Fair and Six Flags assets to avoid fragmented maintenance standards.
The Missing Schedule for Independent Engineers
Despite the urgency of the situation, Six Flags has not yet established a firm timeline for when the independent engineers and inspectors will complete their work. While Kristin Fitzgerald mentioned that the company is currently establishing the schedule, no date has been provided for when the public can expect the Leviathan and Behemoth to return to service.
One critical piece of information remains missing: the identity of the manufacturer responsible for the restraint systems. While the report confirms the rides share a manufacturer, the specific company has not been named. furthermore, it remains unclear if the independent review will result in a permanent redesign of the restraints or if the added seatbelts will be deemed a sufficient long-term fix.
Comments 0