La Ronde is closing the Goliath roller coaster as safety concerns swirl following a fatal incident at Six Flags Over Georgia. In a statement, La Ronde Marketing Director Carole Bricault said the popular blue, red and yellow roller coaster would be temporarily shut down while crews “conduct a thorough safety review in collaboration with the ride’s manufacturer.” “We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident at Six Flags Over Georgia and extend our heartfelt condolences to everyone affected,” said Bricault. “At La Ronde, the safety of our guests and employees is our highest priority.” On Monday, six people were injured and 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem was killed at the Georgia park near Atlanta. The major crimes police unit in the area is investigating, and authorities have not disclosed how the person died. Local television stations broadcast footage showing passengers being evacuated from the Atlanta version of the Goliath. One of the trains on the ride was still on the tracks on Tuesday, apparently at the point where it had come to a halt whilst climbing the ride’s first hill. Park visitors reported seeing a man being thrown from a rollercoaster and falling to his death. Logan Conner said he was on the Goliath with his fiancée when he saw the man become detached from his seat. “The man started to levitate in the air, sideways,” he told NBC. “We had direct eye contact with him.” Britny Landry had already been on the ride earlier on Monday and was queuing to go on it again. “We were watching, and I saw someone get thrown out,” she told KTVU-TV. She explained that at first, she wasn’t sure what she’d seen. “Maybe someone had a bag or something like that.” Six Flags Entertainment has temporarily closed nine rollercoasters across six theme parks “as a precaution,” according to a company spokesperson, who added that staff and local authorities had responded immediately and that the park was cooperating with the investigation. Six Flags is a former owner of La Ronde, which was sold to the Kansas City-based EPR Properties in March. READ MORE: Montreal’s Goliath has operated for over two decades, carrying millions of riders, the amusement park said. “We are taking this additional time to carefully review the attraction,” said Bricault. “It will not reopen until this review is complete and we are fully satisfied that it can be operated safely.” The Leviathan and Behemoth rollercoasters at Canada’s Wonderland, north of Toronto, were also closed on Monday as a precautionary measure, according to a spokesperson for Six Flags, the owner of both the Toronto park and the US park where the accident took place. No reopening date had been set for Toronto either. --With files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press.
