Two Roller Coasters at Canada’s Wonderland Closed After Fatal Incident in Georgia

Canada’s Wonderland closed two of its roller coasters on Oct. 12 following a fatal accident on a similar ride at an amusement park in the United States earlier that day. 

A spokesperson for Canada’s Wonderland said the Leviathan and Behemoth coasters at its amusement park in Vaughan, Ont., were closed “out of an abundance of caution,” after a man fell to his death from a Six Flags roller coaster in Georgia.

“We have temporarily closed similar attractions across our parks. The safety of our guests and team members is our highest priority,” spokesperson Grace Peacock told The Epoch Times in an Oct. 13 statement.

No timeline has been announced for reopening.

The man who died in the Georgia accident was 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, according to Cobb County police. Kariem was thrown from his seat and struck other patrons before landing below the ride, police said on Oct. 13. Investigators and park officials have not said how he ended up coming out of his seat.

Six Flags Entertainment Corporation temporarily closed nine roller coasters across six amusement parks on Oct. 12, including the two at Canada’s Wonderland, following the fatal incident, which also left several other people injured. Six Flags owns both Canada’s Wonderland and Six Flags Over Georgia.

Officials did not disclose the injuries or medical conditions of others involved in the incident at Six Flags Over Georgia, about 15 miles (24 kilometres) northwest of Atlanta. Neither authorities nor the park identified the roller coaster involved.

Several local media outlets aired footage of passengers being evacuated from the Goliath coaster, as well as eye-witness accounts.

A spokesperson at Six Flags said the company is “deeply saddened” by the incident, and that it is “providing support to the guests and team members affected.” 

The two closed roller coasters at Canada’s Wonderland—Leviathan and Behemoth—and the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, were manufactured by Swiss firm, Bolliger & Mabillard, one of the world’s major steel roller coaster manufacturers. The company has over 120 installations worldwide. 

A spokesperson for Bolliger & Mabillard told The Epoch Times the company is “actively investigating the incident” and will not comment further until it has “a better understanding of what happened.”

The Behemoth roller coaster takes riders up to 70 metres in the air and travels at speeds of up to 125 kilometres per hour, while Leviathan takes riders up to 93 metres into the air and reaches speeds of up to 148 kilometres per hour.

Goliath takes riders up to 61 metres into the air and goes up to 112 kilometres per hour. The ride, which lasts three minutes, has had no history of mechanical failures. It opened in 2006.

Roller coaster accidents are rare relative to the number of rides taken each year. The risk of serious injury is 1 in every 15.5 million rides, according to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions.

The Associated Press and The Canadian Press contributed to this report.