Man falls to his death after being ejected from Six Flags rollercoaster
A man fell to his death after being ejected from a rollercoaster at a Six Flags amusement park in Georgia, USA, on Monday (12 Oct).
The victim, identified as 42-year-old teacher Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, was at the amusement park with his family for his niece’s birthday, and was seated beside her when the incident occurred.
Source: ABC News
Witnesses and employees claimed Mr Hassan struck other riders before falling from the Goliath ride, which is 200 feet (about 61m) tall and runs at speeds up to 70 mph (about 113km/h).
Others also alleged that he hit the ride several times before falling. He was then found dead beneath the attraction.
Source: @z_ak87 on X
Several people sustained injuries
Several people were also injured in the incident, which occurred at around 4pm, police said.
However, the authorities did not confirm how the victims sustained their injuries or shared their conditions. Similarly, they did not reveal how Mr Hassan died.
According to ABC News, guests aboard the Goliath were spotted being evacuated from the rollercoaster after it stopped near the ride’s peak.
Source: @intel_nova on X
On Tuesday (13 Oct), the Cobb County Police Department said they continued to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Georgia’s Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire, which oversees the safety of amusement park rides in the state, also said they were “actively investigating” the tragedy.
Six Flags temporarily closes nine rollercoasters in US
Meanwhile, a Six Flags spokesperson said their park team, alongside local authorities, responded to the incident immediately.
They said they were “deeply saddened” by the incident and expressed their condolences to the deceased guest’s loved ones.
“We are also providing support to the guests and team members affected,” they shared.
Additionally, they were cooperating with the authorities in the investigation.
The Goliath rollercoaster. Source: Six Flags
Six Flags also temporarily stopped the operations of nine rollercoasters across six of its locations on Monday, The Guardian reported.
Rollercoaster manufacturer investigating incident
Similarly, the Switzerland-based manufacturer of the Goliath rollercoaster, Bolliger & Mabillard, said it was “deeply saddened” by the accident.
“Our thoughts are with the family and those affected,” the company’s representative, Olivier Bolliger, shared in a statement on 12 Oct.
“We are actively investigating the incident and will not comment further until we have a better understanding of what happened,” he added.
Also read: 10 injured following roller coaster mishap at M’sia theme park, police investigating
10 injured following roller coaster mishap at M’sia theme park, police investigating
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Featured image adapted from @z_ak87 on X, @intel_nova on X.
