Six Flags CEO John Reilly says seat belts are coming to Goliath and other coasters with a similar restraint. Goliath stays closed, and Georgia still hasn’t named a cause.
Six Flags is adding seat belts to Goliath, the Six Flags Over Georgia coaster where a rider died earlier this month.
President and CEO John Reilly announced the change in an email to guests and passholders on the evening of Friday, Oct. 23, Attractions Magazine reported. The seat belts are also coming to “other coasters with a similar restraint,” he wrote.
Goliath is still closed, and nobody has said yet what caused the accident.
What did Six Flags say about the seat belts?
Reilly framed it as part of a wider safety push. “Safety guides every decision we make,” he wrote, according to Theme Park Insider.
“We are reinforcing safety precautions at our parks and taking additional measures, including adding seat belts on Goliath and other coasters with a similar restraint,” Reilly said.
Does this mean Goliath’s restraint failed?
Six Flags hasn’t said that, and the cause is still under investigation. Adding seat belts doesn’t establish that Goliath’s existing restraint malfunctioned, Attractions Magazine noted.
Georgia authorities haven’t announced an official cause. Cobb County police and Georgia’s Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire, which inspects rides in the state, are investigating, as PNP reported earlier.
What happened on Goliath?
A 42-year-old Atlanta man died after falling from Goliath on Monday, Oct. 12, according to police. Four other people were hurt, as PNP reported at the time.
Goliath is a hyper coaster built by Bolliger & Mabillard, often called B&M. It opened in 2006, climbs 200 feet and reaches about 70 mph.
Its trains use individual clamshell-style lap bars without a separate seat belt, Attractions Magazine reported.
Which other Six Flags coasters could get seat belts?
Six Flags didn’t name them. Attractions Magazine floated two candidates, calling it speculation.
Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey
Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America in Illinois
Like Goliath, both are B&M hyper coasters with clamshell lap bars and no separate seat belts, the magazine said. Both are also still closed.
Why do some Six Flags coasters already have seat belts?
It goes back to the merger. Six Flags combined with Cedar Fair in July 2024, and Cedar Fair had already put seat belts on its B&M hyper coasters, according to Theme Park Insider.
The legacy Six Flags parks didn’t have them on theirs. That’s why the six other closed coasters already have supplemental seat belts, Attractions Magazine reported.
Those six are Diamondback and Orion at Kings Island in Ohio, Leviathan and Behemoth at Canada’s Wonderland in Ontario, and Fury 325 and Thunder Striker at Carowinds.
Which Six Flags coasters are still closed?
Goliath and eight other B&M hyper coasters at five other parks. Reilly said Goliath stays closed “pending necessary safety reviews and clearances,” Theme Park Insider reported.
The other eight are temporarily closed “out of an abundance of caution,” he said. There’s still no date for any of them to reopen.
Six Flags Magic Mountain’s Goliath in California, a different ride, reopened Oct. 15.
Have other parks reopened their B&M coasters?
Yes. SeaWorld Orlando reopened Mako on Oct. 20, and Busch Gardens Williamsburg has reopened its B&M hyper, too, Theme Park Insider reported.
Hersheypark reopened Candymonium on Oct. 16. The park said the manufacturer hadn’t found an engineering reason to close similar coasters because of the Goliath accident.
What else is Six Flags changing?
It’s starting a company-wide review. Reilly said Six Flags has “engaged independent engineers and ride inspection specialists” to review safety procedures across all of its parks.
He said the company is committed to “taking appropriate action to further strengthen our standards and culture of safety.”
Reilly closed on a personal note. “I know trust is earned through actions and not words,” he wrote. “As CEO of Six Flags, I take that responsibility personally.”
Are Six Flags parks open this weekend?
Yes. Six Flags said its parks will stay open through Halloween weekend, with more than 220 roller coasters running across the company, Attractions Magazine reported.
Six Flags Over Georgia reopened Oct. 16 with Goliath closed. If you’re headed to a park with one of the closed coasters, check its app or website before you go.
What happens next?
Georgia’s investigation comes first. Authorities haven’t said what caused the accident or when they expect to.
Six Flags hasn’t said when the seat belts will be installed or when Goliath will reopen. “We will continue to communicate about our progress and hold ourselves accountable to our commitments to you,” Reilly wrote.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
Attractions Magazine, Dani Meyering (Oct. 23, 2026), the seat belt announcement, Reilly’s email and the likely candidates
Theme Park Insider, Robert Niles (Oct. 23, 2026), more of Reilly’s email, the Cedar Fair background and the reopened coasters
Pirates & Princesses (Oct. 13, 19 and 22, 2026), the accident, the investigation, the closures and Mako
AI Disclosure: All articles are assigned, edited and reviewed by an experienced human editor before posting. Like most modern newsrooms, WebReef Media uses a variety of AI tools to help with accuracy and efficiency. Ways AI may be used in article creation include research, grammar, fact-checking and ideation, as well as occasional AI generated or enhanced thumbnails or graphics. No articles are generated or posted without human oversight or involvement.