However, the particular ride that killed a 10-year old boy Sunday remains closed. The death of a 10-year-old at the Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas was even more devastating than could have been imagined with witnesses confirming that tragic child Caleb Schwab was decapitated while riding down the 168-foot-tall Verrckt slide! Judge Burns also wrote that the jurors heard expert testimony that suggested, incorrectly, that the slides designers did not adhere to legal standards, and that the expert mentioned another, unrelated death at the Schlitterbahn park in Texas. Kansas Water Slide Death Pictures, Tom Purcell Viking Net Worth, Turn External Recipients Warnings On Or Off In Gmail, When Your Ex Girlfriend Gets Hotter, Indeed Welding Jobs With Per Diem, Cheltenham Ladies' College Staff List, 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. Pastor Clint Sprague, the family spokesperson for the Schwab family, said they're heartbroken. We want to hear what you think about this article. Someone else who had ridden the Verrckt (which is named after the German word for "insane") earlier that day claims the Velcro on her seat belt came undone toward the end of the experience. A witness named Kelsey Friedrichsen recalls, "It looked like he must have somehow been ejected from his seat, bounced around between the netting and the slide and just slid down. Castaneda said 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. By Elizabeth Chuck. Ken Martin, a Richmond, Virginia-based amusement park safety consultant, questioned whether the straps were appropriate for what he called "nothing more than a roller coaster with water.". She said the family rode Verruckt twice in one day a couple of weeks ago. North Dakota news site MyNDNow.com reports the boy's parents were with him at the park that day. I was so happy that Schlitterbahn hired me that I didn't think anything about the tragic accident on the Verrckt water coaster the previous year. Sara Craig, who took her 14-year-old son and his friend to the park on Wednesday said: "I feel guilty having fun when a family is hurting so badly.. I know I will. And although the Schlitterbahn Water Park is for families, this ride in particular is meant to attract so-called "thrill-seekers. A memorial service will be held Friday afternoon, Sprague said. Each strap is held in place by long Velcro-style straps, not by buckles. As chance would have it, Schwabs father was a Kansas state representative. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. The slide is 168-feet tall and has 264 stairs leading to the top -- taller than the Statue of Liberty. Inside the Prize! We won't post to any of your accounts without asking first. Caleb, his parents and 3 brothers attended "elected officials day" at the water park on Sunday. Caleb Schwab was killed Sunday while zooming down the 168-ft.-tall Verruckt water slide at the Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City, police said. 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. In early tests, rafts carrying sandbags flew off the slide, prompting engineers to tear down half the ride and reconfigure some angles. We are thankful for all the support and encouragement weve received, she added. — -- A 10-year-old boy who died on a water slide in Kansas City, Kansas, suffered a fatal neck injury, officials said, as a witness recounted the "horrific scene" and the "panic" that erupted in the wake of the incident last Sunday. Riders are propelled by jets of water as they go over a hump while riding a water slide called "Verruckt" at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City. Apparently the owner specifically chose Kansas because they have no height restrictions for water slides. Judge Dismisses Charges in Boys Decapitation on 170-Foot-Tall Water Slide, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/24/us/water-slide-death-charges.html. This is likely where Caleb had been sitting. Additional charges against the defendants included reckless behavior in the design, construction and operation of the ride, along with aggravated child endangerment. "No words can express the pain we all feel for this terrible tragedy. In February, a judge dismissed the charges against Henry and Schooley. Melissa Willets is a writer/blogger and a mom. John Schooley . Market data provided by Factset. In his ruling, the judge, Robert Burns of Wyandotte County, wrote that there was illegal evidence that should not have been presented to the grand jury and called into question videos and expert testimony presented to jurors. Jeffrey Henry, co-owner of the park, and John Schooley, the lead designer of the ride, have been charged with second-degree murder and face charges of aggravated endangerment of a child and aggravated battery. Water Slide Death | Women in Raft With Victim Speak Out ABC News 14.1M subscribers Subscribe 1.7M views 6 years ago Hannah Barnes and Matraca Baetz both suffered facial injuries during the. Several passengers who rode the waterslide where a 10-year-old boy was decapitated Sunday said that the rides Velcro-like straps would come loose, and that at least one lifeguard claimed they were just for show. He hit a metal pole and was decapitated. His distraught little brother reportedly told Schlitterbahn WaterPark workers: I just saw my little brother die because of one of your attractions.. A video showed Caleb was following all rider instructions when he died. I wouldn't be surprised if they lack regulations on safety harnesses as well. 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. * Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? A lawyer who represented the Schwab family did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday. A promotional video about building the slide includes footage of two men riding a raft down a half size test model and going slightly airborne as it crests the top of the first big hill. All Rights Reserved. Reserved. Today is the fifth anniversary of the traumatic death. See Which Celebrities Announced Pregnancies in 2023 So Far, See Teen Mom OG Alum Mackenzie Edwards Style Transformation: Photos. Following the unspeakable accident, the park immediately shut down. Jeffrey W. Henry at the Verrckt waterslide that he helped design for a Kansas water park. "I didn't think much about it," she said. He described a horrific scene after the boy's death. It's like jumping off the Empire State Building. An investigation has been launched into how the incident occurred on the "Verruckt" raft ride at the Kansas City attraction. 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. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. The child was riding on the Verruckt water slide when he died. They were not related to the boy. The boy's father, state Rep. Scott Schwab, thanked the community for the outpouring of support his family has received. 'Life After Lockup' Season 4 Couple Updates, Baring it All! They saw a trail of blood follow Caleb Schwabs raft after he was hurled from it into safety netting, suffering catastrophic injuries. Police said the death appeared to be an accident . It was at that point that he noticed the boy appeared to have been decapitated. By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and that you have read our Privacy Policy. She remembered a short video they were required to watch, though she didn't recall that it included any caveats about peril. The corporation behind the Verruckt water slide in Kansas City and a former operations director who is being charged with manslaughter for the death of a 10-year-old boy did not have any proper . 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 . He was "affectionate" and a "hugger," Sprague said, and he loved baseball, basketball and his church. 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." After a boy died while riding a nearly 170-foot-tall waterslide in Kansas in 2016, state attorneys brought criminal charges against operators and associates of the water park, accusing them of recklessness. A water park company's co-owner was arrested Monday in Texas in connection with a Kansas criminal case arising from a 10-year-old boy's death on what was promoted as the world's largest waterslide. Are Tarek and Christina Still Business Partners After 'Flip or Flop'? T he death of a 10-year-old Kansas boy, who was decapitated on the world's tallest water slide over the weekend, has revived calls for change in the . Caleb Thomas Schwab, the son of Kansas state Rep. Scott Schwab, was killed Sunday while riding "Verruckt" at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City. KANSAS CITY, Kan. A judge dismissed criminal charges Friday against a Kansas water park owner and the designer of a 17-story slide on which a 10-year-old boy was decapitated in 2016. Along the way, riders clutch ropes along the inside of the raft. This is likely where Caleb had been sitting. Henry and Schooley were ultimately indicted on charges of aggravated battery, aggravated endangerment of a child, interference with law enforcement, and involuntary manslaughter. Jon Rust, a professor of textile engineering at North Carolina State University, said the material used on the straps, commonly called hook and loop, isn't designed to keep a person in the seat. Police ID suspect accused of stealing bus from JFK Airport, Kiss reveal last dates of their farewell tour, ending in NYC. 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? That is, until August 7, 2016, when the raft that 10-year-old Caleb Schwab was riding went airborne and hit a metal pole supporting a safety net, resulting in his decapitation and instant death. Miles, said there is no question that Fridays ruling about what occurred before the grand jury was correct and the judges reasoning legally sound.. In Touch Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. "[Nathan] was screaming, 'He flew from Verrckt, he flew Verrckt,'" Caleb's mother said. 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. Caleb Thomas Schwab, the son of Rep. Scott Schwab, died on the 17-story. I'd urge them not to. Riders are propelled by jets of water as they go over a hump while riding the world's tallest water slide called "Verruckt" at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in 2014. was killed Sunday while riding "Verruckt" at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City. Copyright 2023 WABC-TV. Riders go down the slide in multi-person rafts and have to be at last 54 inches tall, according to the park's website. The slide's name means "insane" in German. The slide is 168 feet tall and has 264. The story, it turned out, was one of gross negligence, lax state regulations, and the consequences of hubris. Had either of the parents ridden the slide before? Caleb was the son of Scott Schwab, a former Republican state senator who recently took office as the Kansas secretary of state. Boys Decapitation on 170-Foot-Tall water slide at the park that day of weeks ago, and. Receive compensation for some links to products and services family spokesperson for the Schwab family said. 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