A fatal fall on June 3 involving a 42‑year‑old employee has put Bolliger & Mabillard clamshell restraints under a nationwide safety probe. The lap‑bar on Six Flags Over Georgia’s Goliath coaster released as the train left the station, prompting an immediate shutdown of 11 coasters that use the same system.
Witnesses said the lap bar felt loose and rose briefly before launch. Emergency crews responded, but the employee fell from the train and was pronounced dead at the scene. Georgia state regulators and local police opened investigations within minutes.
Six Flags announced that rides with the same restraint design would be closed at six of its parks—Magic Mountain, Great America, Over Texas, Fiesta Texas, New England, and Great Adventure—as well as at La Ronde in Montreal and SeaWorld Orlando. The total now stands at 11 coasters across the United States and Canada.
The clamshell lap‑bar, introduced by B&M in the early 2000s, folds over the rider’s thighs in a single motion. B&M has declined to comment while the investigation proceeds. Engineers who have reviewed video posted by a rider’s mother note that the harness appeared to rise a fraction of a second before launch, but they caution that a full teardown is needed to determine the exact failure mode.
Georgia’s Department of Community Health has ordered a comprehensive inspection of all B&M clamshell restraints in the state. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is monitoring the case and has asked the National Association of Amusement Ride Safety to prioritize testing of the design. Canadian provincial safety agencies have issued similar directives, requiring parks to submit maintenance logs and engineering drawings before any ride can resume.
For guests, the shutdown means refunds or future‑date vouchers for tickets that included the affected attractions. Six Flags said it will honor all unused passes and provide additional compensation for employees scheduled to work on the closed rides. SeaWorld Orlando and La Ronde issued comparable policies, emphasizing guest safety.
The economic impact is already visible. Six Flags Over Georgia plans to reopen the park on June 7, but Goliath will remain closed pending a safety review. Attendance for the weekend is expected to dip, and ancillary revenue from food and merchandise could suffer. Communities that rely on park tourism, such as Mableton, Orlando and Montreal, may see short‑term declines in visitor spending.
Industry observers note that the probe could trigger broader regulatory reforms. Past incidents have led to tighter inspection schedules and, in some jurisdictions, mandatory third‑party certification of restraint systems. If investigators find a design flaw, B&M may be required to retrofit existing clamshell bars or redesign the mechanism.
A formal report from the Georgia investigation is expected within two weeks. Until then, the affected coasters will stay offline, and regulators will continue to demand detailed maintenance records from B&M. The outcome will likely shape amusement‑park safety oversight nationwide, setting a precedent for how quickly the industry must respond when a restraint fails.