Two women who are not family members were also in the raft at the time and were treated for facial injuries. They were accused of reckless behavior in the design, construction and operation of the Verrckt and faced various charges that included aggravated child endangerment and second-degree murder. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. With opening day of Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City approaching, the Verrckt water slide still stands as a reminder of the grisly death of 10-year-old Caleb Schwab last year. The designer of a Kansas waterslide that decapitated a 10-year-old boy was taken into custody after he arrived at a Texas airport late Monday, U.S. A person familiar with the investigation confirmed to The Associated Press on Wednesday the boy was decapitated. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, The horrific events incident happened onthe 'Verruckt'ride and the boy's brother saw it, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. ", In fact, even Henry told USA Today upon riding the Verrckt, "I'm still recovering mentally. This is likely where Caleb had been sitting. A 10-YEAR-old boy was decapitated while riding a water slide in front of his horrified mom and brother in one of the US' worst theme park tragedies. The video was intended to show that the defendants had exhibited a reckless attitude toward the construction of the slide, Judge Burns wrote. In the aftermath . Caleb Schwab, 10, died on the world's tallest water slide in Kansas City in August 2016 Credit: David Strickland 7 The water slide in Kansas City was billed as the world's tallest at. The story, it turned out, was one of gross negligence, lax state regulations, and the consequences of hubris. Feb. 24, 2019. Castaneda said two other woman were strapped into the raft, and the first position of the raft was empty. The pair had hoped to ride the "World's Largest Waterslide" together. According to the Huffington Post, the lawsuit (filed at Wyandotte County District Court in Kansas City) states, Due to Henry and Schooleys lack of expertise and a desire to rush the timeline, they skipped fundamental steps in the design process. The lawsuit continues, In place of mathematical and physics calculations, they rushed forward relying almost entirely on crude trial-and-error methods., Allegations are surfacing that multiple neck and head injuries were reported to the park before Calebs death, only to be hidden from law enforcement investigating the fatal incident. KANSAS CITY, Kansas (WABC) -- A witness to the tragic death of a 10-year-old boy on the world's tallest water slide in Kansas has revealed gruesome details of how the boy died. The slide is 168-feet tall and has 264 stairs leading to the top -- taller than the Statue of Liberty. We are good at sending thoughts and prayers, Truesdell quipped. They realized that he was dead, so I don't think they tried to revive him.. Also indicted were Henry & Sons Construction Company and KC Waterpark Management, both affiliates of Schlitterbahn. Riders climbed 264 steps to the top before sitting in a raft that plummeted and then soared over a crest on its way to a runoff pool at the bottom. All Rights Reserved. Craig described the ride as "very, very rough," so much so that "when I got off, my head hurt.". He described a horrific scene after the boy's death. How Much Money Do Survivor Contestants Get Paid? When the Verrckt slide opened in 2014, it was billed as "the world's tallest water slide.". He then saw a raft come through, and "immediately after the raft you see a body," he said. In early tests, rafts carrying sandbags flew off the slide, prompting engineers to tear down half the ride and reconfigure some angles. We noticed my friends harness was completely off and we overheard him yelling, you know, my harness is off and it had been off from the beginning of the ride, she said Wednesday morning. Still, if other recent tragedies are any indication, some people will undoubtedly judge his parents for allowing Caleb to ride this attraction. 'Life After Lockup' Season 4 Couple Updates, Baring it All! Getty/Files. The lifeguard told Castaneda that there was nothing he could do to help. Castaneda said that he heard booms coming from the area of the slide, and then saw a body wash down the slide directly after the raft did. Speaking anonymously, a source close to the inquiry confirmed the boy was decapitated. A memorial service is planned for Friday afternoon. The rafts sometimes lifted from the chute momentarily, and the slide was covered with netting, supported by metal poles, so riders would not fall off. TheAtlantic.com Copyright (c) 2023 by The Atlantic Monthly Group. WARNING: The details in this story are graphic and may not be suitable for all readers. Caleb Schwab died Sunday on a slide at the . Court documents also reveal that a team of experts who inspected the slide after Caleb's death found "physical evidence that indicated that other rafts had gone airborne and collided with the. Kansas City Police also released more information about the incident Monday, calling the boy's death a "fatal neck injury at the end of the ride." In a rush to build the world's tallest water slide, the operators of a Kansas park glossed over their own findings that the nearly 170-foot-tall ride had major design flaws, skirted basic . Nate Schwab, 12, was at the top of the Verruckt water slide at the Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City with his 10-year-old brother, Caleb. He said there were two women sitting in the back of the raft with blood on them. "I heard the noise, and I looked over immediately, and I saw his broken neck and him sliding down the slide leaving a blood trail," Melanie Gocke told CNN. Another rider, Kenneth Conrad, told WDAF-TV that during his trip down the waterslide last year with a friend, the friend's shoulder strap came "completely off." "We will review the ruling carefully, including the court's observation that the ruling 'does not preclude the possibility that the State could continue to pursue this matter in a criminal court,' and take a fresh look at the evidence and applicable law in this tragic and troubling case to determine the best course forward.". This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Although they had built rides before, neither Henry nor Schooley had a background in mechanical engineering. Caleb died Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016, while riding the Verruckt, a water slide that's billed as the world's largest, at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City, Kan. (David Strickland / AP) KANSAS . It's the scariest thing I've done.". "The video, though, is a fictional and dramatized version of events created for entertainment purposes," wrote Burns, who ruled that the video should not have been presented as evidence, according to The New York Times. Some new details in the Caleb Schwab death are emerging with a witness giving her account of how the 10-year-old boy was killed on a water slide at Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City, Kansas on Sunday. edit to add: From CNN's article - "Its height of 168 feet 7 inches is 5 feet taller than the previous record holder, a water slide at a Rio de Janeiro country . Boy dies on 'world's biggest waterslide' at Kansas park Water slide death: 10-year-old Caleb Schwab is in heaven drinking chocolate milk, says friend An investigation has been launched into. ABC's Elizabeth Hur has the latest on a pair of amusement park accidents. Castaneda said he noticed a lifeguard was trying to push the crowd back from the slide, but he continued to try to help because he thought there was someone lying face down in the water. Castaneda, who said he hasn't been interviewed by police, said that he started running toward the slide, then heard a lifeguard yelling and a boy screaming hysterically. 90 Day Fiance's Hamza's Green Card Status 'Battle' Amid Memphis Divorce, '90 Day Fiance' Star Memphis Smith Alleges Hamza Moknii Was 'Abusive', 90 Day's Hamza Requested Paternity Test for Daughter Amid Memphis Split, Dont Be Tardys Kim Zolciak Is 'Heartbroken' Over House Foreclosure, Inside 90 Day Fiance's Tiffany and Dan's Split 'on Good Terms', Are MAFS Stars Chris and Paige Still Together? other recent tragedies are any indication. A showcase of cinematic short documentary films, curated by The Atlantic. "Since the day he was born, he brought abundant joy to our family and all those he came in contact with," he said. He was found dead at the bottom of the slide, and the two . A ride might be scary, but you figure that they have it figured out. Police said the death appeared to be an accident . The person . She said the ride's operators sent them down the slide even though their combined weight was 393 pounds shy of the 400 weight minimum the park advertises as a requirement. The Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City. Caleb Schwab in June 2016. On Friday, a state court judge threw out those charges. KANSAS CITY, Kansas (WPVI) -- A witness to the tragic death of a 10-year-old boy on the world's tallest water slide in Kansas has revealed gruesome details of how the boy died. . Kansascity.com reported last year that the Schwab family has received a $20 million settlement from the companies involved in Calebs death. The park was closed down after the incident Sunday and remained closed Monday. We ask the community to please keep all of those impacted in your thoughts and prayers," representatives for the park said. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. In a statement, she said "a limited portion" of the park will reopen at midday Wednesday. 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But once I took a closer look, I started to realize how complicated this story really was, and how this could have happened to anyone who went down that slide.. Family took photos of friend's snapped harness; Details on 'Fox & Friends'. The slide, known as Verrckt, which is German for crazy or insane, opened in 2014 and was marketed as the tallest waterslide in the world. The 10-year-old son of Kansas politician Scott Schwab died while riding the world's tallest waterslide, the 17-storey Verruckt, in Kansas City, The Sun reports. Caleb was in a raft with two adults who were not related to him when he was killed on the slide, certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the worlds tallest. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! As investigators continue to look for answers, chilling new video has emerged - detailing the dangers of the. Market data provided by Factset. Legal Statement. 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