Canada's Wonderland closes two coasters after fatal Six Flags incident
The Leviathan and Behemoth rides are shut down after a man died on a similar roller coaster at a Six Flags park in Georgia.
VAUGHAN — Canada's Wonderland has closed two of its major roller coasters after a man was killed on a similar ride at a Six Flags amusement park in Georgia.
The Leviathan and Behemoth coasters were closed on Monday, according to Grace Peacock, a spokesperson for the Vaughan, Ont., theme park.
"Out of an abundance of caution, we have temporarily closed similar attractions across our parks," said Peacock. "The safety of our guests and team members remains one of our highest priorities."
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There is no timeline for when the rides will reopen, she said.
The closure follows an incident on Monday at Six Flags Over Georgia, about 24 kilometres northwest of Atlanta. A 42-year-old man was killed and four others were injured.
The man, identified by police as Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem of Atlanta, was reportedly thrown from his seat, fell and hit the ride multiple times, according to the Cobb County Police Department's major crimes unit.
Authorities and Six Flags did not identify the roller coaster involved, but local TV stations showed video of passengers being evacuated from the Goliath coaster.
Six Flags closed nine roller coasters across six amusement parks on Monday following the incident.
The Goliath roller coaster at La Ronde in Montreal has also been temporarily closed while the park conducts a safety review with the ride's manufacturer.
"We are taking this additional time to carefully review the attraction," La Ronde said in a statement. "It will not reopen until this review is complete and we are fully satisfied that it can be operated safely."
Behemoth, Leviathan and the Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia were all manufactured by Bolliger and Mabillard.
The Georgia roller coaster, which opened in 2006, reaches top speeds of about 113 km/h and heights of 61 metres. During about three and a half minutes, riders "handle through razor-sharp turns and soar over colossal hills," according to the park's website.
Canada's Wonderland's Behemoth opened in 2008 and features a climb to 70 metres, followed by a 75-degree drop with speeds reaching 125 km/h, and a track length of over 1.6 km. The Leviathan, which opened in 2012, climbs 97.7 metres and has an 80-degree drop, reaching speeds of 148 km/h.
The park remains open on its regular fall schedule, operating Thursdays through Sundays.
Six Flags Entertainment did not immediately respond to questions about why specific rides were shut down and what would be done before they reopen.
The death on Monday would be at least the seventh at the Georgia park. It also comes less than two weeks after Six Flags Magic Mountain, in Southern California, announced that it is retiring its famous X2 roller coaster amid lawsuits alleging serious brain injury caused by the ride.
The accident left a number of riders in the next train of cars stuck on a steep incline when the ride was halted. News footage showed park workers rescuing those riders and leading them down a steep, open-air stairwell to the ground.
Canada's Wonderland opened in 1981. It was acquired by Paramount and became Paramount Canada's Wonderland in 1993, but reverted to its original name after it was purchased by U.S.-based Cedar Fair Entertainment Co. in 2006. Cedar Fair and Six Flags merged in 2024.
With files from The Canadian Press, CBC News and National Post