UPDATE: As of October 22nd, Mako has reopened at SeaWorld Orlando.

On Monday, October 12th, a man tragically fell from the top of the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia after his restraint was not properly locked.

Mako at SeaWorld Orlando

Other roller coasters manufactured by the same company are now facing scrutiny as concerns about the safety of the manufacturer’s ride restraints begin to rise. This includes a few different rides at SeaWorld Orlando as well as Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure, and one of those rides has already closed out of an abundance of caution.

According to WESH 2, multiple witnesses on the Goliath attraction at the time of the incident stated that the man fell from a car on the roller coaster. Goliath was made by the Swiss company Bolliger & Mabillard, and after the incident, attention immediately turned to other rides that the company has made. This includes four rides at SeaWorld, one at Universal Islands of Adventure, and four coasters at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida.

Mako

Out of an abundance of caution, SeaWorld Orlando has closed Mako as of today, Tuesday, October 13th. A spokesperson from the park shared that Mako will remain closed while engineers and safety experts make sure the restraint system and the rest of the ride are working as they should be. The ride opened in 2016 and fortunately has not seen any serious incidents in the past 10 years of its operation. The other rides at SeaWorld that were manufactured by the same company are Manta, Pipeline, and Penguin Trek. Over at Islands of Adventure, The Hulk roller coaster is the only attraction manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard.

The Incredible Hulk Coaster

Michael Haggard, an attorney who has represented the families of those killed or injured on rides, said that he would be very concerned about this incident and what it means. He continued on to say, “The question surrounds itself as ‘Are these restraint systems proper? Are they dual restraint systems, meaning a lap bar and a seat belt? What is the situation?’ And yes, every ride has the same risk of someone being ejected.”

SeaWorld

WESH 2 also received the following statement from the co-owner of ride maker Bolliger & Mabillard: “We are deeply saddened by this tragic accident. Our thoughts are with the family and those affected. We are actively investigating the incident and will not comment further until we have a better understanding of what happened.”

Manta Ride

We share our deepest condolences to all those affected by this horrible tragedy and will continue to keep you updated as the investigation progresses.