Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem was a man who repeatedly beat the odds. He recently survived cancer. He overcame a severe bout of COVID-19, and he miraculously walked away from a harrowing car fire just weeks ago. But on Monday, a trip to Six Flags Georgia turned into a tragedy that no one could have anticipated. The devoted father and educator fell to his death while riding a roller coaster, leaving behind devastated family, friends, and students who are now grieving a profound loss.
According to CNN, police said an “unresponsive” man was found not breathing beneath a roller coaster around 4 p.m. Monday. The Cobb County Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit indicated the man, whom authorities identified as Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, was ejected from the Goliath roller coaster—a “monumental” 210-second ride that reaches 200 feet high at 70 mph, according to the Six Flags website.
Witnesses said the beloved dad “fell and hit the car three different times” before falling onto the roof of a haunted house attraction below. Vanessa and Fred Sowemimo, who had just gotten off the same ride, described that Kariem “flew out of his seat,” according to CBS News.
“There was a young lady … she had, like, blood all over her white skirt, it was in that moment, at least for me, I was like, ‘Oh wow, this actually did happen,’” Fred Sowemimo told the outlet. Aerial footage obtained by CNN captured the harrowing scene as Goliath riders sat stranded on a steep incline, waiting to be evacuated down an emergency staircase.
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CiCi Nelson, a rider who was waiting her turn in line to ride the Goliath, told CNN shell-shocked passengers were hysterical when the cart pulled up with a hauntingly empty seat. She said the safety bar on the empty seat appeared to be loose.
Kariem’s fatal fall was captured on one witness’s souvenir picture taken while on Goliath, the high-speed hyper coaster manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard that has operated at Six Flags Over Georgia since 2006, 11Alive reported. The Switzerland-based roller coaster design consultancy said it is “deeply saddened by this tragic accident,” adding, “Our thoughts are with the family and those affected.”
Kariem was on the ride with his son, while his wife and daughter were watching from the ground, according to one witness per 11 Alive.
“I cannot imagine the horror the patrons and employees witnessed today, and my heart aches for the family who lost a loved one,” Cobb County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said on Monday.
In a statement, Six Flags Over Georgia said: “We are deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park today. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the guest’s family, friends, and loved ones.”
In the wake of the tragedy, a spokesperson said that Six Flags temporarily shut down Goliath, as well as nine similar rides across six of its parks “out of an abundance of caution.” Seaworld Orlando’s Mako roller coaster, which is also made by Bolliger & Mabillard, has also been shut down.
Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem was a “cherished member” of Wesley International Academy, a public charter school in Atlanta, as an IT manager and robotics coach, per CNN. The Atlanta Public Schools system said his “presence and impact will be deeply missed.”
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