Thrill-seekers heading to Kings Island's Halloween Haunt this weekend may notice longer ride lines as the park's two largest steel roller coasters, Orion and Diamondback, remain closed.
The Mason amusement park temporarily closed the two roller coasters after a man died while riding a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia on Oct. 12.
The closures are part of precautionary measures taken by the theme park company, which owns Kings Island and Cedar Point. Six Flags shut down nine similar rides at parks across North America as authorities investigate the fatal incident.
However, Kings Island still doesn't have a timeline for the reopening of Orion and Diamondback.
"Our hearts remain with those affected by the tragic incident in Georgia," park spokesperson
Sara Gorgon told The Enquirer. "The investigation remains active, and we continue to work with authorities to understand exactly what took place. Out of an abundance of caution, certain attractions with similar design characteristics remain temporarily closed as reviews continue. At the same time, guests can continue to enjoy a wide variety of rides, attractions and entertainment offerings throughout our parks that are safely enjoyed by millions of visitors each year."
Why are Orion and Diamondback closed?
Kings Island, which is only open weekends in the fall, announced Monday night that it has temporarily closed its Orion and Diamondback roller coasters "out of an abundance of caution" after the deadly incident involving the Goliath, manufactured by 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.
Kings Island is home to three B&M roller coasters − all with traditional seatbelts as part of the restraint system, including:
- Diamondback hyper coaster, debuted in 2009 (seatbelts were added in 2014).
- Orion hyper coaster, debuted in 2020.
- Banshee coaster, debuted in 2014.
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 hyper coasters in addition to lap or over-the-shoulder restraints. (A hyper coaster reaches higher speeds and features drops of over 200 feet, according to Bolliger & Mabillard.)
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.
What happened on Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia?
Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, 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.
According to NBC, preliminary reports from witness and employee interviews indicated that Kariem was "ejected from the ride and struck other patrons before falling beneath the attraction." Atlanta television station WSB reported that four others were injured.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: When will Orion and Diamondback reopen at Kings Island?
