On a Monday Afternoon, Joy Turned to Horror at 200 Feet

There are moments when a place built for joy becomes the setting of something else entirely. The screams that usually signal thrill turn to screams of a different kind, and the machinery that lifts and spins and drops becomes, in an instant, the source of a tragedy no one anticipated. At Six Flags Over Georgia on a Monday afternoon, that transformation occurred on a ride called Goliath, and the silence that followed was heavier than any roar of the coaster.

The man who died was Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, of Atlanta, identified by Cobb County police as the victim of an incident that occurred just before 4 p.m. local time . He was found beneath the roller coaster, unresponsive and not breathing . Preliminary information gathered through witness and employee interviews indicated that Kariem was ejected from the ride and struck other patrons before falling beneath the attraction .

The ride involved has not been officially named by authorities, but aerial footage from news helicopters showed the Goliath rollercoaster stopped midway, with riders being evacuated down a high stairway, and multiple witnesses identified the ride as the one involved . The Goliath opened in 2006 and reaches a height of 200 feet with a top speed of 70 miles per hour, according to the park's website .

Witnesses described scenes of confusion and horror. CiCi Nelson told CNN she was in line when a cart returned with an empty seat and riders in hysterics; she said the safety bar on the empty seat appeared loose, and another passenger appeared to be covered in blood . Connor Thompson told CBS News that he was in line when people began yelling, "Call 911! Someone fell out!" . Nick Mendenhall told the Associated Press that he watched the man come out of his seat and fall into another cart before falling to the ground, describing it as "super, super bizarre, traumatic" .

Kariem was more than a statistic in a tragic incident. He worked at Wesley International Academy, a public charter school in Atlanta, for more than 12 years as an IT manager, technology teacher, and robotics coach . The school described him as a "cherished member" whose "presence and impact will be deeply missed" . His family told WXIA that he had survived cancer twice and had been in a car crash with his 10-year-old daughter just three weeks before his death .

Six Flags said it was "deeply saddened by the guest incident" and that its thoughts and condolences were with the guest's family . The company temporarily closed nine roller coasters across parks in the U.S. and Canada as a precaution, including the Goliath at La Ronde in Montreal . The Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire, which oversees amusement ride safety inspections, has launched its own investigation . Cobb County police's major crimes unit is leading the criminal investigation .

The death is at least the seventh at the Georgia park, according to a law firm that tracks amusement park accidents . It also comes less than two weeks after Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California announced the retirement of its X2 coaster following lawsuits alleging brain injuries . For now, the Goliath stands silent, and the questions of how a restraint failed or a seat gave way remain unanswered.

The images accompanying this article are AI-generated and intended for illustrative purposes only.

Sources: CNN, BBC, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Los Angeles Times, CBC News, Associated Press