Swiss rollercoaster maker investigates fatal US Six Flags accident

Valais-based rollercoaster manufacturer investigates fatal accident in the US Keystone-SDA

Swiss rollercoaster manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard is investigating a fatal accident on one of its rides at Six Flags Park near Atlanta in the United States.

“We are deeply saddened by this tragic accident,” Olivier Bolliger told the US broadcaster ABC News.

“Our thoughts are with the family and those affected,” Bolliger added. Bolliger & Mabillard is actively investigating the incident and will not comment further until the circumstances have been clarified, the company also stated in a statement to the AP news agency.

On Monday, a 42-year-old man was thrown from the Goliath rollercoaster at the Six Flags Over Georgia theme park near Atlanta and died. According to the police, several other visitors were also injured in the incident. The cause of the accident remains unclear. The police and the relevant regulatory authority have launched investigations.

The rollercoaster, built by the Swiss company, opened in 2006. It is around 61 metres high and reaches speeds of up to 113 kilometres per hour. Passengers are secured with safety bars across their thighs and hips.

Further roller coasters closed

Following the accident, the theme park operator Six Flags shut down nine similar roller coasters in six parks across the US and Canada as a precautionary measure. Eight of these rides were also manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard. It is not yet clear when they will resume operations.

Six Flags came under pressure on the stock market. On Tuesday, its share price fell by 14.4% to $10.20, closing at its lowest level since December 2009.

Furthermore, it was only at the end of September that Six Flags announced the permanent closure of the “X2” rollercoaster at Magic Mountain in California. This followed lawsuits filed by several visitors who claimed to have suffered serious brain injuries. A 22-year-old man also died in 2022 following a ride. The operator reached a settlement with his relatives. The ride was manufactured by the US firm Arrow Dynamics.

Bolliger & Mabillard was founded in 1988 and is one of the world’s best-known manufacturers of steel roller coasters. According to the specialist database RCDB, the company – which is based in Monthey in the canton of Valais and has its headquarters in Aigle – has built more than 130 roller coasters worldwide.

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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.