Nine roller-coasters close across US, Canada after man dies during ride

Nine roller coasters have been closed across the United States and Canada as new information emerges about a man who was ejected from his seat and fell to his death at a Georgia theme park.

Witnesses watched in horror as 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem was ejected from his seat, almost seeming to hover above the car before hitting several people and falling to his death at Six Flags over Georgia.

The nightmarish death prompted Six Flags to temporarily close nine similar coasters across North America.

Police and a state agency that oversees ride inspections are investigating, but many questions remain, including how the man fell out and whether there were problems with his restraints.

Mr Kariem, a school employee from Atlanta, was killed while riding Goliath, the park's tallest roller coaster with a first hill of 61 metres.

"It looked like he was hovering because the car was moving underneath him," said Nick Mendenhall, who had just ridden Goliath with his son and was watching the coaster cars passing overhead.

The man fell headfirst back into the coaster, Mr Mendenhall said, then was ejected from the ride on its final turn.

"It felt like slow-motion, but it happened in an instant,"

he said.

"I was just praying in those moments. I was praying: 'God, please let him stay in that car.'"

Goliath towers above the entrance at Six Flags over Georgia just outside Atlanta, the state's capital city, with a series of hills and turns.

It does not take riders upside down.

There are no seat belts. Instead, riders are restrained with lap bars that pull down over their legs and waist.

In a theme park industry that it is constantly introducing new thrills, it is far from the world's tallest, fastest or wildest coaster.

One family watched as the man flew out of the roller coaster

Investigators and park employees told investigators that Mr Kareim was thrown from the coaster, but have not released any other information about the people who were hurt.

Mr Kariem worked as the information technology manager at a public charter school and before that was a technology teacher.

In a statement, the Wesley International Academy said it was devastated and Mr Kariem's "dedication to our students, and commitment to our school community were evident in everything he did".

Summer Bates, who was at the park with her husband and three children, saw Mr Kariem fall.

"One thing I think that will stick with us is the sound of his body coming down," Ms Bates said.

Ms Bates said she and her family rode Goliath earlier in the day.

"My older two children rode on the cart ahead of us," she said.

"I noticed they kept trying to push theirs down tighter.

"I assured them that they were OK. But once my husband, youngest child and I loaded our cart and headed up the incline, I quickly understood why my older two were messing with theirs.

"It just didn't feel secure and tight."

Amusement ride oversight varies by state

In the US, roller coasters and other rides at major amusement parks such as Six Flags are not regulated by the federal government.

That responsibility falls to states.

Georgia's Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, which oversees annual ride inspections, is "conducting an in-depth and comprehensive review," of what happened, said Garrison Bennett, a spokesperson.

In California, the state approves new rides and ones that have been modified and either directly inspects them or relies on an annual inspection by the owner.

Florida's largest theme parks are exempt from state safety inspections, unlike smaller venues and fairs.

Instead, the largest theme parks like Walt Disney World and Universal conduct their own inspections and have their own protocols.

Six Flags closes roller coasters elsewhere

Six Flags Entertainment Corp temporarily shut down roller coasters at six of its theme parks in the US and Canada.

The parks were already scheduled for seasonal midweek closures on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Those rides include a second coaster named Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California; Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America in Illinois; Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey; Fury 325 and Thunder Striker at Carowinds in North Carolina; and the rides Leviathan and Behemoth at Canada's Wonderland in Ontario, Canada.

The company did not say why those specific rides were shut down or what would be done before they reopen.

Bolliger & Mabillard, the Swiss company that manufactured the coaster and many others worldwide, said it is actively investigating and will not comment "until we have a better understanding of what happened".