A man died after being ejected from the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia in Cobb County on Monday, Oct. 12. Cobb County police identified him as Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, of Atlanta, FOX 5 Atlanta reported on Oct. 13. Officers who responded at about 3:58 p.m. found him unresponsive beneath the attraction. Police said preliminary interviews with witnesses and park employees indicate he was thrown from the coaster, struck other patrons as he was ejected and fell beneath the ride, FOX 5 reported. Several other people were hurt. The Cobb County Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit is investigating, and state ride inspectors are examining the equipment. What caused him to leave the ride has not been announced.
The sections below were first written on Monday night, before police named him.
What officials have confirmed
Cobb County police said one person died and several others were injured. Police said officers assigned to the park and patrol officers responded, and that detectives from the department’s Major Crimes Unit are investigating the circumstances. NBC News reported that the Cobb County Department of Emergency Communications confirmed the death. FOX 5 Atlanta, citing police, put the emergency call at about 3:58 p.m. FOX 5 also reported that the park was evacuated shortly after the incident.
The park is in Cobb County, about 15 miles northwest of Atlanta, according to the Guardian and AP. AP and ABC place it near Austell; FOX 5 and Mableton’s mayor say Mableton.
Cobb County Commission Chair Lisa Cupid said one person died and others were injured, that she understood next of kin had been notified, and that further information would come from law enforcement, FOX 5 reported. Mableton Mayor Michael Owens expressed condolences and said the city’s public safety director was coordinating with police and park security.
A Six Flags spokesperson said the company is deeply saddened by the guest incident, is supporting affected guests and team members, and is cooperating fully with local authorities. The company said it would share no more details out of respect for the family’s privacy.
Six Flags said it temporarily closed similar attractions across its parks, according to ABC and Atlanta News First. FOX 5, citing FOX 32 Chicago, and ABC7 Chicago reported that Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, is among the closed rides. The reports cited gave no reopening dates.
What witnesses described
Witnesses told local stations, as relayed by Fox News, NBC and ABC, that they saw a man fall from the ride. Accounts differ on details and on where the person came to rest. Police later said, per FOX 5, that preliminary interviews indicate he was thrown from the coaster; officials have not said how that happened.
Riders left on the lift hill
A ride stoppage left riders on the track until emergency crews got them down. Video from the scene showed people descending a stairway high above the ground, and FOX 5 reported that a harness system was used for riders stranded partway up the lift hill.
Ben Edwards, a guest from Canada, told Atlanta News First that nearly 20 people were on the lift hill, which is roughly 200 feet tall, some for at least an hour. Officials have not confirmed the number or how long people waited.
What is not known
The reports cited did not say what caused the incident, or whether the ride stoppage and the fall are connected.
The number of injured is also unclear. Police statements as relayed said several. ABC7 Chicago reported four others injured, and FOX 5’s video summary also says four while its article text says several. The condition of those hurt was not described in those reports.
Who investigates and what Georgia rules say
The Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, the state safety office, oversees ride inspections in the state. Commissioner John F. King told FOX 5 that inspectors and investigators were on site examining the equipment and working with park and public safety officials. FOX 5 said it had requested the ride’s inspection records, and its page did not say whether they had been released as of the 11:16 p.m. update. None of the reports cited described Goliath’s inspection history.
The state’s rules for amusement rides are in Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 120-3-27-.06 and -.07. Based on the rule text as posted online by Cornell’s Legal Information Institute, adopted in 2013, an owner or operator who knows of a fatality must shut the ride down and secure it against operation until the state safety office completes a full investigation, and must report the death to the office immediately by phone, followed by a written report by the close of the next business day. The same rule says the office may allow a ride to return to service without a full investigation if it receives enough information from the owner and a qualified repair technician. Separate rule text says stationary rides need an annual permit and at least one inspection each year; a valid prior-year permit may stay in effect until the ride is reinspected. Whether the current version differs is not shown on that page, and the reports cited did not say which of these steps applied in this case.
On the federal side, a 2015 directory from the Consumer Product Safety Commission lists portable rides, such as those at fairs and carnivals, among the types of amusements within its jurisdiction. The same directory says eight states plus the District of Columbia had no state-run inspection program for fixed-site rides. In Georgia, stationary rides such as Goliath are overseen by the state safety office.
About Goliath
Goliath is a Bolliger & Mabillard hypercoaster that opened in 2006; the park’s own page lists it at 200 feet tall with a top speed of 70 mph, and Fox News and FOX 5 reported a first drop of 170 feet, citing the park’s website.
In July 2006, a 45-year-old man died after riding Goliath, in what was reported at the time as an apparent heart attack, not a fall.
What to watch next
Cobb police detectives are investigating and, per Commission Chair Cupid, further information is to come from law enforcement. The state safety office is examining the equipment, and FOX 5 had requested the ride’s inspection records; its latest update did not say whether they had been released. Six Flags is the source for any word on the closed attractions. No dates have been announced for any of these.