What to know
- Canada’s Wonderland has temporarily closed the Behemoth and Leviathan roller coasters following a fatal incident involving the Goliath coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia. One person died, and multiple others were injured.
- All three roller coasters were manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard and share similarities in their designs. Six Flags said the closures were a precautionary measure, but it remains unclear exactly why the two Canadian rides were selected. There is no reopening timeline.
- University of Toronto forensic engineering professor Doug Perovic said investigators will examine witness accounts, surveillance footage and safety systems to determine whether the incident involved an isolated equipment failure or a broader design problem.
- Perovic said roller coasters are generally safe and operators follow established maintenance protocols. He emphasized that investigators must determine the cause before drawing conclusions about other rides, adding that Canada’s Wonderland should communicate its findings to reassure the public.
Two of the most popular attractions at Canada’s Wonderland are temporarily closed after a death involving a similar roller coaster at Six Flags in the U.S.
The Canadian park closed the two coasters following the death of a rider in its sister amusement park, Six Flags Over Georgia.
According to Cobb County Police, one person has died while multiple others were injured, with multiple U.S. news organizations reporting that witnesses said a man fell out of the seat, hit multiple other riders and the ride’s tracks, before falling to his death out of the park’s Goliath roller coaster.
Canada’s Wonderland went under Six Flags Entertainment Corporation’s ownership as of 2024, when Cedar Parks and Six Flags joined together.
In an email to Now Toronto, Six Flags confirmed the two roller coasters, the Behemoth and the Leviathan, were closed on Monday.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we have temporarily closed similar attractions across our parks,” they stated.
The corporation added that the decision was made for the safety of their guests and team members.
Both the Behemoth and Leviathan in Canada, as well as the Goliath roller coaster involved in the death in Georgia, all share a manufacturer – Bolliger & Mabillard.
It is unclear whether the closures are related to the manufacturer among them, as the Yukon Striker was also manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, but has no plans to close.
The coasters may have closed due to similarities among the coasters.
Goliath at Georgia’s Six Flags is a steel hypercoaster with a height of around 200 feet and a drop of around 175 feet. Additionally, the roller coaster has a massive 540-degree downward helix and several high-airtime camelback hills.
Behemoth has a similar height and speed, while Leviathan shares similar layouts and designs with the U.S. coaster.
All three roller coasters are part of Bolliger & Mabillard’s Hyper Coaster/Mega Coaster product model line.
In an email to Now Toronto, Bolliger & Mabillard called the incident “tragic.”
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic accident. Our thoughts are with the family and those affected,” they wrote.
In the meantime, the manufacturer stated that an investigation was underway and wrote that they would not be commenting further until it’s complete.
As of now, Canada’s Wonderland said there is no timeline for either Canadian rollercoaster reopening.
‘One tragedy is too many.’ What needs to happen next to ensure safety?
Now, an investigation and inspection are underway for nine rides at Six Flags Over Georgia and the two rollercoasters at Canada’s Wonderland.
Doug Perovic is a forensic engineering professor at the University of Toronto. He is also a self-proclaimed rollercoaster aficionado.
Perovic said that since a rider seemingly ejected from the ride, the next step in the investigation would be to look at what safety system failed.
“…A rider seems to have been ejected from the ride, so that obviously points to the restraint system, and something that obviously went wrong there,” he told Now Toronto.
Perovic added that other rides may have similar components to Goliath in Georgia’s Six Flags, leading to their closure out of caution as crews inspect each ride’s safety protocols.
Once evidence such as witness accounts and video surveillance are collected and reviewed, Perovic said that investigators would use this material to determine a sequence of events.
“The first main step is to see, ‘is this a one-off bad apple, or do we have a systemic problem that may be something in the design?’” he said. “That’s a much bigger issue.”
Perovic also pointed out that events like these are rare, and that roller coasters tend to be safe overall.
He added that Canada’s Wonderland should reassure nervous park-goers through communication.
“I would say that if it turns out that this is a unique event… something that may have gone wrong with that specific seat, that needs to be communicated as quickly as possible,” he said. “They’ll reopen the rides if there’s nothing that is an issue that goes beyond that specific coaster, and to tell the public there’s no general threat to the public.”
For anyone feeling more nervous around amusement rides and rollercoasters, Perovic said that while one tragedy is too many, there is nothing to worry about.
“…I don’t think riders need to be worried. The operators are very responsible. The various parks, whether it’s the ones in Canada here, Canada’s Wonderland, and so on, they have maintenance procedure protocols in place… on a routine basis that’s determined,” he reassured.
“Those service procedures are very well documented and controlled, and the people that do those are highly trained and responsible.”
Following inspection, Perovic said there’s a possibility for restraints to be improved if determined to be part of the cause.
While both the Behemoth and Leviathan include a waist seat belt as an extra backup along with a clamshell lap bar, Goliath only has the latter.
Perovic said the priority for the ongoing investigation is to determine whether the incident was a localized issue or is pointing to a bigger safety concern. He added that investigators need to establish the cause before drawing a conclusion about other roller coasters in Six Flags parks.
