Kings Island has temporarily closed two of its roller coasters after a man died while riding a roller coaster at Six Flags over Georgia on Monday, Oct. 12.
The closures are part of measures taken by the theme park company which shut down similar rides at parks across North America as authorities investigate the fatal incident.
Here's what we know about the incident and the coasters:
What happened on Goliath at Six Flags over Georgia?
A man died after falling off the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia outside of Atlanta on Oct. 12, according to USA Today.
The Cobb County Police Department said in an email that one person died and several were injured. The incident happened at about 3:58 p.m. local time, the department said.
Atlanta television stations WSB and 11 Alive reported that the
man died after falling from the Goliath roller coaster at the park. WSB reported that four others were injured.
The man was ejected from his car, fell and hit the ride three times, 11 Alive reported, citing witnesses.
Which rides are closed at Kings Island?
Kings Island has temporarily closed:
- Orion
- Diamondback
The park said the rides were closed "out of an abundance of caution," Fox19 reports. The company has not announced when either coaster will reopen.
Why are Orion and Diamondback closed?
Kings Island, which is only open weekends in the fall, announced Monday night that its Orion and Diamondback roller coasters are temporarily closed “out of an abundance of caution” following the deadly incident involving the Goliath, Bolliger & Mabillard, in Georgia.
Ohio is home to several Bolliger & Mabillard roller coasters, according to the Akron Beacon Journal. The Switzerland-based firm has about 130 roller coasters throughout the world and a fair number in Ohio, including three at Kings Island.
Long before the merger between Six Flags Entertainment and Cedar Fair, which owned Cedar Point and Kings Island, the company insisted that seatbelts be installed on such hyper coasters in addition to lap or over-the-shoulder restraints.
The Goliath coaster involved in the mishap on Oct. 12 is at a legacy Six Flags park and used a clamshell-style lap-bar restraint with no traditional seatbelts.
Kings Island is home to three B&M roller coasters − all with traditional seatbelts as part of the restraint system.
They include:
- Diamondback hyper coaster, debuted in 2009 (seatbelts were added in 2014)
- Orion hyper coaster, debuted in 2020
- Banshee coaster, debuted in 2014
A hyper coaster reaches higher speeds and features drops of over 200 feet, according to Bolliger & Mabillard.
Is Kings Island still open?
Yes. The closures only affect Orion and Diamondback. Kings Island remains open for its fall operations.
What's next?
Authorities in Georgia have not released the identity of the man who died or determined what caused the incident. Six Flags has said the affected coasters will remain closed while the company and investigators examine what happened.
Reporter Craig Webb of the Akron Beacon Journal contributed.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Six Flags Goliath death prompts Kings Island to close roller coasters
