Theme park industry expert says Georgia tragedy will be thoroughly investigated as similar coasters are brought offline
A spokesperson for Six Flags says the investigation will cover all possibilities from mechanical failure to operator error to rider error.
The man killed while riding a roller coaster in Georgia has now been identified as a 42-year-old father from Atlanta. The tragedy forced Six Flags to close numerous other similar roller coasters including Nitro at Great Adventure.
Six Flags Great Adventure’s Nitro towers 230 feet above the Jackson Township landscape. It will remain closed for the foreseeable future, according to Six Flags representatives after the death of 42-year-old Hassan Kariem, of Atlanta Monday night on a similar-style coaster named Goliath.
Dani Meyering is managing editor of Attractions Magazine based in the theme park capital of the world, Orlando Florida. She has worked in and written extensively about parks, including coaster safety.
“My heart has been broken for everyone in the community, obviously the family first and foremost,” said Meyering.
Reports from Georgia say the tragedy was partially captured by the on-ride photo. Video and stills will be key to this investigation, says Meyering.
“It is generally standard that there are at least more than a dozen (cameras) that would be positioned throughout and in the brake stations as well,” she said.
The Goliath coaster is one of nine manufactured by Bolliger and Mabillard in operation at Six Flags parks, including Nitro. All have been put out of commission during the investigation.
“We’re talking 20 years or more of really not having an incident like this with these types of coasters,” said Meyering.
A spokesperson for Six Flags says the investigation will cover all possibilities from mechanical failure to operator error to rider error. Meyering believes this death could change the future of these rides depending on what the investigation finds.
“The industry is going to take this as an unfortunate wakeup call but that’s one of the things an incident like this can bring.”
