ATLANTA – Several theme parks have paused or reviewed coaster operations after a fatal incident at Six Flags Over Georgia. A metro Atlanta man died and four others were injured in the incident on Monday involving the park’s Goliath coaster. The cause remains under investigation.
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What we know:
SeaWorld Orlando temporarily closed Mako, a 200-foot-tall coaster made by the same manufacturer as Georgia’s Goliath, according to News 6 Orlando.
The park said it took the step as a precaution and is consulting with industry partners. It has not announced when Mako will reopen.
Montreal’s La Ronde also closed its Goliath while it reviews the ride with its manufacturer. The park said the coaster will remain shut until it is confident it can operate safely.
Separately, Six Flags temporarily closed nine coasters across six of its parks, including Behemoth and Leviathan at Canada’s Wonderland.
RELATED STORY: 9 coasters closed after fatal Six Flags Georgia incident
Other parks review operations
Hersheypark is evaluating Candymonium, another coaster built by the same manufacturer.
The park has said it is consulting with experts and will decide on ride operations before reopening to the public; it has not announced a separate closure of the coaster.
At Kings Dominion, two coasters made by the same manufacturer—Dominator and Rapterra—are different ride types from the Georgia hypercoaster, and no incident-related closures have been reported, according to Axios.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg has also not confirmed a closure of Apollo’s Chariot. The park says it conducts regular inspections and works with manufacturers and safety experts.
What the coaster terms mean
Dig deeper:
The parks’ rides fall into several design categories. These labels describe a coaster’s height or seating style; sharing a category or manufacturer does not mean two rides are identical.
Hypercoaster: Generally a steel coaster more than 200 feet tall, built for speed and airtime. Goliath, Mako and Candymonium are examples.
Giga coaster: A coaster with a height or drop of at least 300 feet. Orion, Fury 325 and Leviathan fit this category.
Floorless coaster: Riders sit above the track with no floor beneath their feet. Dominator at Kings Dominion is this type.
Wing coaster: Seats extend on either side of the track, leaving riders’ feet dangling and creating an open, flying sensation. Rapterra at Kings Dominion is a wing coaster.
Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia is a hypercoaster. It opened on April 1, 2006, and is 200 feet tall with a drop of 175 feet. It reaches a top speed of 70 miles per hour and the track is 4,480 feet. According to its description, the coaster has a “thrill level” of 4.