Six Flags Magic Mountain has suspended operations of its Goliath roller coaster due to safety concerns. This decision follows a fatal incident at Six Flags Over Georgia involving a rider being thrown from a similar attraction.
The death of Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem at Six Flags Over Georgia
The catalyst for these widespread closures was a tragic accident at Six Flags Over Georgia, located near Atlanta. As the report says, a 42-year-old man named Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem was thrown from the Goliath coaster during operation. The incident was particularly harrowing, as the report notes that the victim made direct eye contact with the ride crew as he fell.
This fatality has forced the company to re-evaluate the safety of its high-intensity attractions. While the immediate cause of the ejection has not been detailed, the severity of the event has prompted an immediate operational freeze on similar hardware to prevent a repeat occurrence.
Ten coasters across North America enter emergency inspection
In response to the Georgia tragedy, Six Flags has decided to temporarily close 10 roller coasters across the United States and Canada. according to the report, these rides share the same design or similar naming conventions as the Goliath coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, suggesting a systemic review of specific engineering profiles.
The list of affected rides includes high-profile attractions such as Fury 325 and Thunder Striker at Carowinds in North Carolina, as well as Orion and Diamondback at Kings Island in Ohio. In addition to the Goliath coasters at Six Flags Over Georgia and Magic Mountain, six other similar coasters at various Six Flags parks have been taken offline for maintenance and inspection.
The rare Giovanola Mega design of Magic Mountain's Goliath
The Goliath coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain is not a standard attraction; it is a rare Mega coaster manufactured by the Swiss firm Giovanola. Built between 1999 and 2001,this specific model is one of only three such coasters existing worldwide. The ride was designed by Werner Stengel, one of the most prolific figures in the history of coaster engineering.
Technically, the Magic Mountain Goliath is a 235-foot-tall structure that propels riders at speeds reaching 85 mph over a 4,500-foot-long track. A defining characteristic of both Giovanola Mega coasters and Bolliger & Mabillard Hyper coasters is a drop exceeding 200 feet, a feature that provides the extreme velocity associated with these models but also increases the physical forces exerted on riders and restraints.
What caused the failure on the Georgia Goliath?
Despite the scale of the closures, a critical piece of information remains missing: the exact mechanism that allowed Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem to be ejected from the ride. The source report does not specify whether the incident was the result of a mechanical failure of the restraint system, a breach of safety protocols by the rider, or an unforeseen engineering flaw in the Goliath design.
Furthermore, while Six Flags has acted swiftly to close similar rides, the company has not yet released a public statement detailing the specific findings of the inspections at Carowinds or Kings Island.. until a formal investigation concludes,it remains unclear if the risk is tied to the Giovanola design specifically or a broader maintenance issue across the Six Flags fleet.
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