Six Flags closes some rides after man flung to his death from roller coaster

Six Flags Entertainment Corp. said it would temporarily close 10 rides at its theme parks, including the Goliath ride that was involved in a fatal accident on Monday, amid a string of incidents at its facilities.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we have temporarily closed similar attractions across our parks,” the company said in a statement. “The safety of our guests and team members is our highest priority.”

The attractions paused are located at seven resorts including Kings Island in Ohio and Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey. There is no immediate timeline for them reopening.

Shares of Six Flags, which bills itself as the largest owner of regional theme parks in the US, fell as much as 17.28 per cent on Tuesday to their lowest level since the Covid-19 epidemic closed resorts worldwide.

A 42-year-old man was killed in a roller coaster incident on Monday at the Six Flags Over Georgia park.

Officers working at the park responded to reports of an event involving a guest at around 3.58pm.

Preliminary information indicates that Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem was ejected from the ride, struck other patrons and fell beneath the attraction, according to a statement from the Cobb County Police Department.

Six Flags said last month that it would permanently close the X2 coaster at its Magic Mountain Park in Valencia, California.

The Dordick Law Corp. said three of its clients sued the company after allegedly suffering catastrophic brain injuries as a result of the X2 ride.

The firm said it has retained more than 100 clients who have claimed injury. Six Flags said the X2 ride passed a multitude of safety tests.

Six Flags Over Georgia is located about 19km (12 miles) west of Atlanta.

In its statement, Six Flags said its staff and local authorities responded immediately, and that it is cooperating fully with the authorities as they complete their investigation of Monday’s incident.