Muhammad Amanullah
Date: October 14, 2026
The True Post (Web News) —Three roller coasters at two major Canadian amusement parks have been temporarily closed following the death of a rider at Six Flags Over Georgia in the United States.
The precautionary closures come as authorities investigate the fatal incident and examine the safety of similar attractions. According to The Associated Press, a 42-year-old man died after falling from a roller coaster at the Georgia amusement park. Police said he fell from the ride and struck other people before landing.
The incident occurred on Monday, prompting the park operator to begin reviewing similar rides. Six Flags Entertainment Corporation said nine comparable roller coasters across six North American parks had been temporarily shut down.
In Canada, the two affected rides at Canada’s Wonderland, near Toronto, are Behemoth and Leviathan. La Ronde amusement park in Montreal has also temporarily closed its Goliath roller coaster.
42-Year-Old Man Dies at Georgia Park
Police identified the deceased man as Hasan Jihad Ibn Karim, a school employee from the Atlanta area.
The incident took place at Six Flags Over Georgia, near Atlanta. Goliath, one of the park’s major roller coasters, reaches a height of approximately 61 metres.
Witnesses described a frightening scene as visitors watched the incident unfold. Some said they saw the rider fall from the attraction.
Nick Mendenhall, a witness who had ridden the same roller coaster with his son, said he was watching the ride from below when the incident occurred. He described the man as appearing to be suspended in the air before falling.
According to Mendenhall, the rider initially fell inward and then went over the edge near the final turn.
Another witness, Summer Bates, said she was visiting the park with her husband and three children. Her family had also ridden Goliath earlier that day.
Bates said her older children had tried to tighten their restraints while riding. She added that she and her husband also felt the restraint did not seem entirely secure when they rode with their younger child.
These accounts have raised questions about the circumstances of the accident, but witness observations alone do not establish whether a restraint malfunction occurred.
Investigators Examine Ride Safety
Goliath uses a restraint system that comes down over the rider’s waist and legs rather than a conventional seat belt. The attraction carries passengers through steep drops and high-speed turns.
Police and the Georgia state agency responsible for overseeing amusement-ride inspections are investigating the incident. Authorities are seeking to determine how the man fell from the ride and whether any problem with the restraint system or another factor contributed to the death.
The cause has not yet been conclusively established in the information available.
A Six Flags spokesperson said park staff and local authorities responded promptly. The company said it was cooperating with the investigation and providing support to those affected, including employees.
Lisa Cupid, chairperson of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners, also expressed sympathy for the man’s family. She described the amusement park as an important part of the area’s tourism and a place where families had created memories over generations.
She said the tragedy was difficult for the community to comprehend.
Three Canadian Roller Coasters Temporarily Closed
Canada’s Wonderland, located north of Toronto, has temporarily closed Behemoth and Leviathan. The park has not announced a firm reopening date for either attraction.
The closures come during the park’s Halloween event season, when evening activities and special events are taking place. The park was expected to remain open for a further 12 evenings and weekends before its seasonal closure.
La Ronde in Montreal has also temporarily closed its Goliath roller coaster. The park said the ride would remain shut until further information was received from its manufacturer.
La Ronde was previously owned by Six Flags until its sale to EPR Properties was completed earlier this year.
According to Six Flags, the nine temporarily closed rides in the United States and Canada are similar to the roller coaster involved in the Georgia incident. The company described the closures as precautionary measures while further information is gathered.
The temporary shutdowns do not, by themselves, establish that the Canadian rides have a defect or that the same circumstances apply to each attraction.
Other Incidents Have Raised Safety Questions
The Georgia fatality comes amid wider public discussion about amusement-ride safety following other incidents in the United States.
At Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California, the park announced the retirement of its X2 roller coaster less than two weeks before the Georgia incident, according to the report. The decision followed lawsuits alleging brain injuries associated with the attraction.
The park had also settled a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the family of a 22-year-old man who died after riding the attraction in 2022.
In another incident, a 32-year-old man died after riding a high-speed roller coaster at Universal Epic Universe in Florida last year. His death was attributed to traumatic injuries, and it was classified as accidental.
The circumstances of these incidents differ, and they do not establish a common cause across the attractions involved.
Reopening Depends on Further Checks
The investigation into the Georgia accident is continuing, and the precise cause of the fatal fall remains to be determined.
For Canada’s Wonderland and La Ronde, the next steps will depend on further inspections, information from the manufacturer and any guidance issued by the relevant authorities.
The temporary closures underline how a serious incident at one amusement park can lead operators elsewhere to review comparable attractions. Until investigators establish what happened in Georgia, however, it would be premature to draw conclusions about the cause of the accident or the safety of every similar roller coaster.
