A teacher and father figure who died after being ejected from a rollercoaster at Six Flags Over Georgia has been identified as Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, as nine similar rides at parks in the US and Canada are temporarily closed.
Kariem was killed during the incident at the theme park near Atlanta on Monday afternoon local time. Four other people were taken to hospital, although their conditions have not been released.
Cobb County Police said officers responded at about 3.58pm after reports of a male guest on the Goliath rollercoaster. Kariem was found beneath the ride, unresponsive and not breathing.
Preliminary information from witnesses and employees indicated that he was ejected from the coaster before striking other patrons and falling beneath the attraction. Police have not established what caused him to leave his seat or whether a restraint malfunction was involved.
Witness Nick Mendenhall, who had ridden Goliath with his son shortly beforehand, said he saw the man fall as the cars passed overhead.
“It looked like he was hovering because the car was moving underneath him,” Mr Mendenhall told the Associated Press.
He said the man appeared to fall headfirst back into the coaster before being thrown out during 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.’”
The incident was captured by cameras used to take souvenir photographs during the ride. The coaster was stopped, passengers were evacuated and the area was secured before the entire park was cleared.
Similar Six Flags rides closed after rollercoaster death
Six Flags has temporarily shut nine similar hypercoasters across six parks in the US and Canada as a precaution. Eight of the rides were built by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger and Mabillard, which is investigating the incident.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we have temporarily closed similar attractions across our parks,” Six Flags said. “The safety of our guests and associates remains one of our highest priorities.”
Goliath, which reaches about 60 metres and speeds of up to 113km/h, remains closed. The ride uses lap bars rather than seat belts and does not take passengers upside down.
Richard Pretlow, president of Six Flags Over Georgia, said there was no expected date for its reopening.
“Our team responded immediately and cooperated fully with local authorities as they worked to understand what took place,” he said.
The park said it was “deeply saddened” by the death and extended its “thoughts and heartfelt condolences” to Kariem’s family, friends and loved ones.
Family pays tribute to beloved educator
Kariem’s cousin, Geo Ashe, described him as a “son, grandson, nephew, cousin, friend, educator and deeply loved member of our family”.
Mr Ashe said Kariem had raised his partner’s daughter as his own from toddlerhood, despite having no biological children. The family has asked people not to share photographs or videos of the fatal incident and to respect their privacy.
Kariem had worked at Wesley International Academy for more than 12 years as its IT manager, technology teacher and robotics coach.
The school said it was “devastated by the loss” of a “beloved colleague, friend, and integral part of the Wesley family”.
“His love for Wesley, dedication to our students, and commitment to our school community were evident in everything he did,” it said.
Bolliger and Mabillard has said it will not comment further until it has a clearer understanding of what happened, adding: “Our thoughts are with the family and those affected.”
