Six Flags reopens Georgia Park, keeps Goliath shut after man's death

Six Flags Over Georgia will reopen for normal operations on Friday, October 16, but the Goliath roller coaster will remain closed after a man was ejected from the ride and fell to his death earlier this week.

Hassan Jihad Ibn Kareim, 42, an Atlanta teacher and robotics coach, died Monday after he was thrown from the Goliath coaster at the park in Austell, Georgia.

Cobb County police said officers responded at 3:58 p.m. and found him beneath the ride, unresponsive, and not breathing. Witnesses reported seeing him come out of his seat, strike the ride multiple times and fall onto a haunted house attraction below.

Goliath, which first opened in 2006, can reach up to 70 miles per hour and go as high as 200 feet. According to Park President Richard Pretlow, the attraction will remain closed for some time while the park works with authorities. The accident has really shaken up the entire park staff.

Nine other identical roller coasters owned by Six Flags and located at six parks around the country have been temporarily shut down "as a precaution." They include Raging Bull, Nitro, Leviathan, Behemoth, Fury 325, Thunder Striker, Orion, and Diamondback. Bolliger & Mabillard, the manufacturer of the ride, is now analysing what happened.

The death takes place during the ongoing investigation into Six Flags' safety practices. As CNN reported, analysis of public records and court filings uncovered several hundred cases of people getting hurt at various Six Flags parks in recent years due to such reasons as faulty restraint bars, derailment of a train, and fractures. Two separate lawsuits filed by investors claim that the company delayed maintaining parks and reduced staffing after its merger with Cedar Fair in 2024.