TORONTO – Canada’s Wonderland has temporarily closed two of its roller-coasters – the Behemoth and the Leviathan – after a man died and several others were injured in an incident at a Six Flags park near Atlanta.
La Ronde in Montreal has also temporarily closed its Goliath roller-coaster.
Officials have not yet said how the man died or how the others were injured, but witnesses say he came out of his seat during the ride.
“He turned sideways and he’s flipping in the air,” one woman told ABC News. “He comes down and slams into our cart. People reached out trying to grab him … and we couldn’t.”
While the investigation is in its early stages, experts say a focus will likely be on the lap bar. The Goliath uses a single “clamshell” restraint and does not have a secondary belt.
“When I think back to years gone by, a lot of coasters did have sort of a double-safety system,” said Doug Perovic, a forensic engineer and professor at the University of Toronto. “A lot of those have disappeared for the ride or excitement side of things, but also for the speed at which you can load and unload the passengers.”
Both the Leviathan and the Behemoth have backup lap belts, which were added to the rides after they were installed.
In a statement, Canada’s Wonderland, which is owned by Six Flags, said “out of an abundance of caution, we have temporarily closed similar attractions across our parks,” adding that “the safety of our guests and team members remains one of our highest priorities.”
La Ronde marketing director Carole Bricault said its “Goliath” ride will also be closed indefinitely while crews “conduct a thorough safety review in collaboration with the ride’s manufacturer.”
“It will not reopen until this review is complete and we are fully satisfied that it can be operated safely,” Bricault said.
The Canadian Association of Amusement Operators (CAAO) said accidents of this kind are rare in Canada, pointing to Ontario as having some of the highest safety standards in the world.
“If you can meet … the standard to operate safely here in Ontario, then you can meet the standard anywhere in the world,” said Andrew Gidaro, a director with the CAAO.
In a statement to CTV News, the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA), Ontario’s public safety regulator, said amusement park rides must follow strict safety checks.
“In addition to obtaining the required design approvals, licenses and annual permits from TSSA, owners and operators must ensure that trained employees and certified mechanics conduct daily, weekly and monthly safety checks specific to each ride,” said TSSA spokesperson Gray Chan.
Perovic said officials will be reviewing the inspection logs at Six Flags Over Georgia as part of their investigation.
“The amusement ride world has very stringent, well-developed guidelines for inspection, maintenance,” he said. “And so … they’ll be checking into that because those inspections are all logged and recorded.”
Neither Canada’s Wonderland nor La Ronde have given a timeframe in terms of how long their rollercoasters will be closed.
