Six Flags announced Friday night that Goliath and eight other rides remain closed after the deadly Goliath accident and that they’ve begun major safety changes at Six Flags Over Georgia and other parks.
RELATED: One dead, four injured in Goliath rollercoaster incident at Six Flags Over Georgia
The company said it will be adding seat belts to the Goliath roller coaster “and other coasters with a similar restraint.”
Robert Niles, Editor of ThemeParkInsider.com, said rides sometimes don’t have seatbelts because parks try to move people through the lines quickly to keep wait times down. He said after the tragic incident, parks would be reconsidering safety measures.
“That seat belt is an added layer, which up until now all the evidence has been that that clamshell restraint has been good enough that you don’t need the extra security that you don’t need the extra security of the of the lap belt as well, which would take another moment or two to connect and disconnect at the end of the ride, but right now, given what’s happened, that might change the calculus for a lot of theme parks,” Niles said.
“Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia remains closed pending necessary safety reviews and clearances. Eight additional rides at five other parks are temporarily closed out of an abundance of caution,” the park said on its website in a statement attributed to John Reilly, president and CEO, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation.
“We have engaged independent engineers and ride inspection specialists to comprehensively review current safety procedures across our entire portfolio of rides and attractions, across all of our parks,” the company said.
Hassan Kariem died after falling from the ride earlier this month. Four other riders were hurt.
Parkgoers on Sunday said they were happy to see the upcoming changes.
“It’s going to be a lot more comfortable now because that should have never happened in the first place,” said Six Flags patron Zoey Schlapman.
Here is the full press release from Six Flags Over Georgia:
To Our Guests and Passholders,
Our hearts remain with the family and loved ones of Hassan Kariem, those injured, and everyone impacted by the tragic incident at Six Flags Over Georgia.
What happened has deeply affected all of us at Six Flags. Safety has always been fundamental to the experience we provide for our guests. Across our parks, guests have taken more than one billion rides over the past four years, supported by comprehensive safety, maintenance, and inspection programs. That commitment requires constant vigilance and determination to continually improve.
As we continue to support ongoing investigations, we are building on our commitment to safety in all we do, including a focus on these priorities:
Safety at the Core: Safety guides every decision we make, from the design and operation of our attractions to the training and procedures our teams follow every day. We are reinforcing safety precautions at our parks and taking additional measures, including adding seat belts on Goliath and other coasters with a similar restraint. Safety also depends on the dedicated teams who operate and maintain our attractions every day. Our ride operators complete a comprehensive, multi-stage training program that includes classroom instruction, hands-on training, and supervised, on-the-job experience, with additional instruction and evaluation provided as necessary. We remain focused on reinforcing these practices and supporting our employees in their responsibility to put safety first.
Commitment to Ongoing Improvement: Our comprehensive safety and maintenance programs are built on a commitment to ongoing evaluation and improvement. We have engaged independent engineers and ride inspection specialists to comprehensively review current safety procedures across our entire portfolio of rides and attractions, across all of our parks. We are committed to carefully evaluating their findings and taking appropriate action to further strengthen our standards and culture of safety.
We will continue to share updates on our progress.
