In February, a judge dismissed the charges against Henry and Schooley. It was supposed to be just another summer day at the Kansas City water park until Jess Sanford and Melanie Gocke witnessed something that would be imprinted on their minds forever: the death. UPDATE: According to The Washington Post, Schlitterbahn Waterpark and former director of operations, Tyler Austin Miles, have been charged with involuntary manslaughter and several counts of aggravated battery, aggravated endangering a child, and interference with law enforcement in connection to the death of Caleb Schwab involving the water coaster, Verrckt. 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. Additional charges against the defendants included reckless behavior in the design, construction and operation of the ride, along with aggravated child endangerment. Follow her on Twitter (@Spitupnsuburbs), where she chronicles her love of exercising and drinking coffee, but never simultaneously. The slide's name means "insane" in German. The slide's name means "insane" in German. The slide's name means "insane" in German. 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. 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. Caleb, his parents and 3 brothers attended "elected officials day" at the water park on Sunday. "It is with an absolutely broken heart we have to ask for prayers for the Schwab family, who suddenly and tragically lost their sweet and energetic son in an accident today," he wrote. - Claiming corporate executives were rushed, careless and lacked expertise to design a thrill ride . Police ID suspect accused of stealing bus from JFK Airport, Kiss reveal last dates of their farewell tour, ending in NYC. But riders sometimes struck the netting or the poles, and some injuries had already occurred when, in August 2016, Caleb Schwab, 10, got into a raft with two other riders. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com. Nathan went down the slide first and waited for Caleb at the bottom. I remember hearing about the accident on the news and thought that the park was going to shut down. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, We dont know what the future holds, but hope that with a fresh look at the evidence and law, the parties can find a way to put this matter behind them., Tricia Bath, a lawyer for Mr. According to the lawsuit, Verrckts design violated nearly all aspects of longstanding industry safety standards.. "[Nathan] was screaming, 'He flew from Verrckt, he flew Verrckt,'" Caleb's mother said. But no matter the reason Caleb ultimately boarded the raft, no one in their worst nightmare would imagine a trip to an amusement park ending this way. The park's spokeswoman didn't return messages Tuesday from The Associated Press seeking comment on the claims. "We held each other and had a little emotional meltdown once we moved away from the immediate area," she says. Are Tarek and Christina Still Business Partners After 'Flip or Flop'? How Much Money Do Survivor Contestants Get Paid? ABC News talked with Esteban Castaneda, who. 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 . We want to hear what you think about this article. 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. Copyright 2023 WABC-TV. KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) The young son of a Kansas state lawmaker died Sunday on a water slide that is billed as the world's largest, according to officials and the boy's family. 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. The netting that ultimately ended up killing the child was added to prevent the rafts from flying off of the slide completely., In the film, Schooley speaks to a reporter after having tested the ride himself. Reserved. At a height of 168 feet 7 inches (51.38 m), Verrckt became the world's tallest water slide when it opened on July 10, 2014, surpassing Kilimanjaro at Aldeia das guas Park Resort in Brazil. 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. When Conrad herself rode the slide, she expressed safety concerns about the straps to a water park lifeguard. 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. Although they had built rides before, neither Henry nor Schooley had a background in mechanical engineering. Jeff Henry, Verrckt creator and Schlitterbahn co-owner, told USA Today about the several delays in opening the slide in 2014: "We had many issues on the engineering side. 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." 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 via AP) See Which Celebrities Announced Pregnancies in 2023 So Far, See Teen Mom OG Alum Mackenzie Edwards Style Transformation: Photos. Apparently the owner specifically chose Kansas because they have no height restrictions for water slides. The slide is also inspected daily. KANSAS CITY, Mo. A company spokeswoman said in a statement that Schlitterbahn's owners embraced the judge's decision, according to the Times. He said Caleb was a hugger who loved his parents, sports and Jesus. The slide's name means "insane" in German. German for insane, Verrckt was designed to challenge the laws of physics. 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. A ride might be scary, but you figure that they have it figured out. At this time, we don't know the circumstances that led to Caleb riding this extreme slide. His funeral is scheduled for Friday. It's too awful to even imagine, but now his parents, State Representative Scott Schwab and his wife Michele, are mourning the loss of their young son. TheAtlantic.com Copyright (c) 2023 by The Atlantic Monthly Group. And, please, hug your kids just a little tighter today. The slide is 168 feet and has 264 stairs leading to the top -- taller than the Statue of Liberty. WARNING: The details in this story are graphic and may not be suitable for all readers. The Verrckt slide in Kansas is billed as the world's tallest water slide. He was found dead at the bottom of the slide, and the two . Pastor Clint Sprague, the family spokesperson for the Schwab family said they're heartbroken. The two women in Calebs raft sisters who sustained facial injuries and bone fractures also received settlements from the park. 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.. Riders go down the slide in multi-person rafts and have to be at last 54 inches tall, according to the park's website. This is likely where Caleb had been sitting. It was a Sunday afternoon, August 7, 2016, the temperature a pleasant 78 degrees, as ten-year-old Caleb Schwab began the 264-step climb to the top of Verrckt, the world's tallest waterslide, which. The Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City. On Monday, Jeffrey Henry, 62, co-owner of Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City, was arrested on charges of second-degree murder, aggravated battery and aggravated child endangerment stemming from the Aug. 7, 2016, death of Caleb Schwab on Verruckt. 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. She said the family rode Verruckt twice in one day a couple of weeks ago. The video here is a point-of-view shot of the Giant Verrckt Water Slide at the Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City, where the son of a state lawmaker died while plummeting down the 168-foot drop! "Caleb was a 10-year-old child, but in many ways, he was a man of God," Sprague said. 2 The Verrckt German for "crazy" or "insane" had been named the world's tallest waterslide by Guinness World Records. By Elizabeth Chuck. The person . "No words can express the pain we all feel for this terrible tragedy. ", In fact, even Henry told USA Today upon riding the Verrckt, "I'm still recovering mentally. "The indictment said the Verruckt water slide raft at Kansas City's Schlitterbahn Waterpark "went airborne and collided with the overhead hoops and netting" designed to keep . Also indicted were Henry & Sons Construction Company and KC Waterpark Management, both affiliates of Schlitterbahn. Criminal indictments came in 2018. But it didn't, so I worked there. The Verruckt ride will remain closed while the accident is investigated; the rest of the park is tentatively scheduled to reopen on Wednesday. Today is the fifth anniversary of the traumatic death. 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. — -- 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 . ABC News talked with Esteban Castaneda, who witnessed the incident at the water park. 90 Day Fiance Stars Weve Lost Over the Years, Still Together? 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. In seeking the indictment, state attorneys showed grand jurors video footage filmed for a Travel Channel show, Xtreme Waterparks, which featured the slide in an episode. After the tragedy, prosecutors led a Wyandotte County grand jury to approve charges of second-degree murder. 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. The slide is 168-feet tall and has 264 stairs leading to the top -- taller than the Statue of Liberty. Each strap is held in place by long Velcro-style straps, not by buckles. The Velcro straps are just to make you feel safer. Last year Caleb's family was awarded nearly $20 million in settlement payments from two companies associated with Texas-based Schlitterbahn, along with the ride's general contractor, the raft manufacturer and a consultant on the slide, reports The Kansas City Star. They were not related to the boy. Had either of the parents ridden the slide before? Castaneda said he had ridden the slide earlier in the day with his cousin's 14-year-old daughter. 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. The deadly accident happened Sunday at the Schlitterbahn Water Park. Nathan Truesdell, a filmmaker from nearby Missouri, heard about the devastating incident on the news. Inside the Prize! Track SoCal rain with LIVE Megadoppler 7000 HD. He said there were two women sitting in the back of the raft with blood on them. Pax Jolie-Pitt Walks His Dog During a Rare Outing in Los Angeles, Find Out Vanessa Bryant's Net Worth, How She Makes Money and More, Teen Moms Mackenzie Standifer Files for Divorce Amid Ryan Arrest Drama, Lidia Jimeno Makes 90 Day Fiance: Love in Paradise Debut, '90 Day Fiance' Star Tim Malcolm Reacts to Speculation That He's Gay, Prince Harry Recalls Getting 'in Trouble' at Start of Meghan Relationship, Meet the Cast of TLC's 'Seeking Brother Husband: Premiere Details, More, Pregnant! The lifeguard told Castaneda that there was nothing he could do to help. The park was closed down after the incident Sunday and remained closed Monday. 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. "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. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. In the aftermath . It also can degrade with use. 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 . 10 year old boy Caleb Schwab got decapitated by one of the biggest water slides called "Verrckt" in 2016. . I wouldn't be surprised if they lack regulations on safety harnesses as well. The water park is now closed, and the slide has been demolished. It was at that point that he noticed the boy appeared to have been decapitated. The water park passed a private inspection in June that included Verruckt, according to a document released by a Kansas state agency. But the Kansas attorney general said in a statement that he may still consider future criminal charges. "It's got to be used in a safe manner, and that doesn't include stopping someone's fall or preventing someone's ejection," Rust said. 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. Getty/Files. 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. "We are obviously disappointed and respectfully disagree with the court's decision," Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said in a statement. ABC News talked with Esteban Castaneda, who witnessed the incident at the water park. 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. 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 . They were not related to the boy. Two women who are not family members were also in the raft at the time and were treated for facial injuries. In 2017, Calebs family received a settlement of nearly $20 million from Schlitterbahn and other companies involved in the slide, The Kansas City Star reported. 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. Had he begged his parents for weeks? Caleb Thomas Schwab, the son of Rep. Scott Schwab, died on the 17-story. Access to the Verruckt remained blocked by a 7-foot-high wooden fence. John Schooley . Truesdells chilling short documentary The Water Slide, premiering on The Atlantic today, uses news and promotional footage to depict the ill-conceived project and its tragic fallout. Pastor Clint Sprague, the family spokesperson for the Schwab family said they're heartbroken. Riders go down the slide in multi-person rafts and have to be at last 54 inches tall, according to the park's website. 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. Caleb Thomas Schwab, the son of Kansas state Rep. Scott Schwab, was killed Sunday while riding "Verruckt" at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City. When the Verrckt slide opened in 2014, it was billed as "the world's tallest water slide.". "You don't think you're gonna die.". Verruckt was certified as the world's tallest water slide by Guinness World Records. And now, the Verrckt water slide at the Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City, Kansas, is the site of a horrible accident, in which 10-year-old Caleb Schwab died Sunday. The boy's parents Republican state Rep. Scott Schwab and his wife, Michele have not spoken publicly since the death. Numerous elected officials and their families were in the park when the tragedy happened. He described a horrific scene after the boy's death. other recent tragedies are any indication. How a Freak Accident Happens. KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- 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. It's the scariest thing I've done.". Caleb Schwab died six years ago in the tragedy at Schlitterbahn Park, in Kansas, on a water slide called Verruckt, which means crazy in German. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. AUGUST 9, 2016 REPORT: It's called "the world's tallest water slide," and it reaches higher than the Statue of Liberty and Niagara Falls. We didnt know whether we had it figured out or not.. Riders plummeted down the nearly vertical 17-story chutetaller than Niagara Fallsat speeds up to 70. Castaneda said two other women were strapped into the raft, and the first position of the raft was empty. By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and that you have read our Privacy Policy. "It's an accident, but there is an accounting because someone was negligent," Caleb's father said on GMA. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved. He rode the newly opened ride that day during an event at the waterpark for the families of elected officials, which included his father, former Kansas lawmaker Scott Schwab, who is now the Kansas secretary of state. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Instead, let's focus our efforts on thinking through all the ways to stay safe at amusement parks, in an effort to prevent anyone else from getting injured or worse in a place that is meant to inspire fun. It appears that Schlitterbahn Waterpark was eager to open the ride to the public despite clear signs of safety hazards. 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, known as Verrckt, which is German for crazy or insane, opened in 2014 and was marketed as the tallest waterslide in the world. A person familiar with the investigation confirmed to The Associated Press on Wednesday the boy was decapitated. 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. 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