The Kansas City Star reported that Henry was taken into custody by U.S. marshals out of Brownsville, Texas. http://kcur.org/post/young-boy-dies-verr-ckt-worlds-tallest-water-slide-kck#stream/0. In fact, People reports that the initial opening date in 2014 was moved several times due to glitches with the ride. Republican lawmaker Scott Schwab's son Caleb died on the Verruckt attraction at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City. When the group was over the weight limit, Jeffrey was relieved that he had an excuse not to go down Verrckt and hopped out of line. Caleb Thomas Schwab, the son of a Kansas state legislator, was killed while riding the 168-foot-tall Verruckt ride atSchlitterbahn Waterpark - the world's tallest - on Sunday, August 7th. Last year, a Kansas state grand jury issued a 20-count indictment against the management of Schlitterbahn water park for the horrific death of a child while riding Verrckt, a much-hyped . http://fox4kc.com/on-air/live-streaming-sc/. Prosapio could not say whether the boy fell from the 17-story ride and she could not even say what time Sunday afternoon the incident occurred. It sounds like either statements could be conjecture.. The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, had already put together an effort to convince residents to spend their recreational dollars in Kansas instead of Missouri. I have been very intimidated of this ride since I saw that video of the tests where the boats were flying to the moon. Henry's arrest follows a Kansas grand jury's indictment last week of the Schlitterbahn park in Kansas City, Kansas, and its former operations director, Tyler Austin Miles, on 20 felony charges. The two female passengers behind Caleb suffered serious facial injuries as he left the raft and hit the netting above, Police spokesman Officer Cameron Morgan said the boy's cause of death has not been confirmed. That boat flew. ), But attorneys for Schlitterbahn say the evidence presented last spring in the Kansas attorney general's case against the waterpark giant abused the grand jury in order to obtain criminal indictments against Henry, Schooley, Miles, and the company. ", Joe Montana's 'The Drive' jersey sells for record $1.212 million, Jupiter and Venus appear to 'kiss' in the sky, FL Gov. What better treat is there in this world than spending a steamy hot Sunday afternoon in August at a water park? If General Motors has a fatality, would we say that was a bad investment? he said. "These are not the actions of someone who believed the ride to be dangerous. Accident happened on Verrckt slide this afternoon. ), By the time the episode of Xtreme Waterparks first aired on June 29, 2014, the slide had yet to open. Visitors flocked to Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City, Kansas, to experience its thrill. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Those numbers do not include other water park injuries or those who need lifeguard assistance without a hospital trip. I tell Barry to say hi to Caleb, Sharon Fritz, sitting in her St. Louis Cardinals lawn chair, said of her husband. The magnitude of the project was not lost on at least one installer who had worked on fifteen to twenty projects for Schlitterbahn as part of Henry & Sons Construction, the general contractor owned by Henry that was put in charge of building Verrckt. Because of heavy demand, rides are scheduled by reservation at the time the park opens each day. For other inquiries, Contact Us. In April 2017, the Kansas legislature, following an impassioned speech from Calebs father, strengthened a law on amusement-ride inspections that previously allowed amusement-park operators to not share private inspections with state officials, giving the state one of the weakest sets of regulations nationwide. It's kind of like a tube.". Two horrified witnesses to the death of the boy decapitated by the world's largest waterslide have spoken out about the gruesome scene. The Red Cross swim app is also available, which is designed for children and their parents. A Wyandotte County judge on Friday dismissed all charges against Schlitterbahn Waterpark officials, saying he found multiple abuses by the Kansas Attorney General's Office in the grand jury. KANSAS CITY, Kan. A judge in Wyandotte County, Kansas dismissed charges in connection with the death of Caleb Schwab on the Verruckt water slide at Schlitterbahn Water Park in 2016. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and others involved, and I hope that they can prevent this from happening again. She claimed there were no lifeguards on duty at the time to help and she had to be saved from the water by waterpark customers. But the death over the weekend of a Kansas state lawmaker's 10-year-old son on a waterslide billed as the world's largest is the latest example that dangers lurk in the appealing slides and wave pools. Those showed more than 4,200 people a year taken to emergency rooms to be treated for scrapes, concussions, broken limbs, spinal injuries and other such injuries suffered on public waterslides. August 9, 2016 9:45am. The opening of the Verrckt was delayed several times as the development team made adjustments. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. This is absolutely horrible! On November 13, 2012, he was at a trade show when he was approached by producers from the Travel Channel who were working on a new show that looked at some of the most incredible water parks and water attractions in the world. People on reddit were being as you'd expect ("Omg so unsafe I'd never ride"), but there were a few people who said they were there and that there was blood everywhere. One of its most popular attractions, 168-foot-tall Verruckt, which means 'insane' in German, opened in 2014. (Baetz and Barnes, the two sisters who rode with Caleb and suffered serious facial injuries, settled with Schlitterbahn for an undisclosed amount in 2017. Castaneda's wife Leslie, told The Kansas City Star that she had seen the blood-streaked ride shortly after the horrific incident andCaleb's distraught family gathered nearby. Storey added: The industrys long-standing safety record exists because safety is our top priority., A safety expert whos worked with Schooley and Henry says allegations of misconduct are baffling. The tragedy happened on day the park offered lawmakers and other elected officials a buffet lunch, hot dogs and hamburgers. Egan, a twenty-four-year-old detention officer for a local police department, remembered how she immediately felt herself lifting off the raft. He and his wife, Michele, have four sons, Sprague said. One is a line from John 3:16. The driving force behind it was Henry, a high school graduate who spent one week at college and never had any formal training in engineering. This content is imported from youTube. Two horrified witnesses have spoken out about the gruesome scene when a boy was decapitated by the world's largest waterslide. You cant blame anyone else except Schlitterbahn and the people who put this slide together. It was a Sunday afternoon, August 7 . Why would you ever do that?. It was announced in September 2005 by Schlitterbahn Waterparks. The other is James 4:14. Such rides, according to the statute, commonly are known as Ferris wheels, carousels, parachute towers, bungee jumps and roller coasters. As he looked down, he says he saw the young boy who appeared to have been decapitated. It was shocking and tragic when Caleb Schwab, 10, was decapitated on August 17, 2016 on the Verruckt waterslide at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City. Copyright 2023 WABC-TV. On December 14, 2012, Henry wrote an email to the seventy-three-year-old Schooley and others: We all need to circle on this, he wrote. Three riders are weighted together on a scale, and combined must be between 400 and 550 lbs. I can't even imagine what it feels like for everyone involved, such a tragedy! On July 24, 2016, Dueas, who had made multiple trips to Schlitterbahns parks in Kansas City and South Padre Island, Texas, visited the water park with his friend, son, then-wife, and her family. The ride was simply too fast. Witnesses have described the gruesome scenes at a Kansas theme park where a boy, 10, was decapitated when he was thrown out of a waterslide's raft and into the safety netting above. I stared at the white waterslide once described by Henry as an erotic piece of artits curves and drops were as grand and ambitious as advertised. "They realised that he was dead, so I don't think they tried to revive him," Sanford said. The collateral? Terms of Use https://themeparkreview.com/forum/topic/116-terms-of-service-please-read/. The ride, while available for riders over the height of 54 inches tall and who are able to understand the two page safety warning park employees must read them before they can enter, is actually meant for "thrill seekers", according to Jeff Henry, the co-owner of Schlitterbahn and creator of the Verruckt water slide. The ride used to have a minimum age restriction of 14. Caleb was in Raft B, joined by sisters Matraca Baetz and Hannah Barnes in the seats behind him. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. On Sunday, ten-year-old Caleb Schwab died at the Schlitterbahn park in Kansas City while on a 168 foot high slide. Schlitterbahn shut down after the accident and will remain closed Monday. Those parks attracted about 85 million people in 2015, compared to about 73 million in 2004. He was screaming,' she said. Witnesses have described gruesome scenes at a Kansas theme park where a boy, 10, was decapitated when he flew off a waterslide and smashed into the safety net, Witnesses say Caleb flew off the ride at around 50ft from the ground and hit the netting, Kansas Police Department issued the above statement in response to the death of Caleb Schwab on the Verruckt Water slide, The height requirement to ride Verruckt is at least 54 inches tall and riders must be at least 14 years old, according to the park's website. The Aquatic Attraction Lifeguarding course includes techniques for handling and removing people from water that is generally 3 feet deep or less, which can be different than in deep-water pools, and first-aid training emphasizing care for head, neck and spinal injuries. Riders sit in a three-person raft and are secured with straps across the waist and shoulders, like a seat belt. According to the March indictment, at least thirteen nonfatal injuries suffered by guests who rode Verrckt were recorded in the 182 days the ride was open between 2014 and 2016, up to and including the day of Calebs death. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. Paul Oberhauser told CBS News that his safety belt came off while riding with a friend and his 9-year-old son about two weeks ago. WHAT CAN PARENTS DO TO KEEP THEIR CHILDREN SAFE? You read it quietly and are reminded again that Caleb Schwab should still be here. In early 2017, Schwab's family settled with Schlitterbahn and other companies involved in their son's death for nearly twenty million dollars. "Our lifeguards are critical and it will be difficult for them to focus after something like this so for that reason we felt it was wise to close the park.". She then saw Caleb's body on the ground and his family standing nearby crying. Off-duty Kansas City, Kan., police officers working security at the park called in the incident at 2:34 p.m. Calebs parents, Kansas State legislator Scott Schwab and his wife, Michele, released a statement on Sunday night remembering their freckle-faced little boy. 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. State inspectors reportedly last checked the waterpark in 2012, well before the Verruckt opened. I could die going down this ride., Attorneys for Henry and Schooley did not respond to multiple interview requests. My thoughts are with the boy's family and anyone who witnessed this. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Here's a look at water parks, their safety and statistics: About 1,300 water parks operated in North America a year ago, up about 30 percent from a decade ago, according to the trade group World Waterpark Association. Statement will be out at 4:30 pm central time. Nothing in confirmed yet. Two women, still strapped into the raft, were injured with another witnesses describing one as having blood pouring down her face. That article didn't mention the slide . The boy's body was covered up with a sheet. It remained closed today amidthe investigation. When the time came to finally open the slide in July 2014, the hype had hit a fever pitch, with favorable headlines and print, TV, and video pieces coming from the likes of the Today show, ABC News, USA Today, Grantland, the Kansas City Star, and others. Witnesses have described the horrific scene as the 'worst day in my life'. Also from Twitter, witnesses are reporting that the harness system wasn't functioning properly prior to the accident. On its way up to the second hill of Verrckt, Raft B went airborne, colliding with a metal pole and netting meant to prevent riders from being thrown from the ride. I think just the excitement of the ride itself drowned out the frightening part of the straps coming off, Dueas told Esquire. The comments below have been moderated in advance. That is insane. The indictment also said Henry helped design the giant waterslide even though he had "no technical or engineering credentials" and that he set a "rushed timeline" for its construction. As a result of the accident, there are many questions surrounding this attractionall designed to determine what happened. She added: We recognize that the Verrckt accident has caused people to question the safety of other attractions; while understandable, we hope the experiences of millions of guests over the past 40 years speaks to our continued commitment to provide fun entertainment in a safe manner.. Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Roller coaster death tragedy. Esteban Castaneda, who was at the Kansas City waterpark, told ABC 7he heard loud booms coming from the ride before noticing a body wash down after a raft. Henry noticed something. Seems rather odd for something like this, especially if that is what contributed to this? While Henry and Schooley stood on an elevated platform between the slides main descent and second hill that day the slide opened, they watched as a raft lifted riders over the crest of Verrckts second hill. I was pretty shocked to see the approach they took when designing, building, and maintaining the Verrckt, said Deborah Hersman, former president and CEO of the National Safety Council. ucla prime cohort; h e b shortbread cookies. For decades, amusement parks have been exempt from federal regulation, leaving in charge state governments, such as Kansas, that offer little, if any, oversight. Man, are they hitting that net up there? Henry asked Schooley, according to the indictment. And I said, I need to hear it from you: Is he dead? He [said], Yes, your son is dead.. On June 16, 2016, Norris JJ Groves, the owner of a towing company in neighboring Missouri, rode Verrckt with his wife and son, according to the indictment. A judge has dismissed all remaining criminal charges over the death of 10-year-old Caleb Schwab, who was killed while riding the 17-story Verruckt waterslide at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark in. I want to be the first at the bar to buy a drink and I want to be the first to meet a pretty girl and I want to be the first at everything.. Well have more details for you and we will share them, she said, but right now our focus is with the family.. We have to understand what's happened. Thrilryder29, Schlitterbahn is open through Labor . In early 2017, Schwabs family settled with Schlitterbahn and other companies involved in their sons death for nearly twenty million dollars. Schlitterbahn is a family waterpark, but this isnt a family ride., On July 10, 2014, the slide opened to the public. They dont even talk about it anymore, really, the young employee said to me, almost embarrassed. He was being held without bond, and a jail booking clerk said he would remain there until a court appearance Tuesday. The indictment says a video shows Caleb was following all rider instructions when he died. Even with the investigation into Schlitterbahn and Verrckt, and the larger questions surrounding safety regulation and oversight within the amusement-park industry, experts and lobbyists say that most rides are safe enough.In 2016, the most recent year from which data is available, 384 million guests experienced 1.7 billion rides at four hundred U.S. amusement parks without injury, according to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), the worlds largest trade association representing the global attractions industry. By. Robert Boepple filed his lawsuit just two months later claiming he sufferedinjuries to his head, neck, back, arm and spine when his toe got caught ona 'protruding item' on theBoogie Bahn surfing ride. This is a designed product for TV, absolutely cannot be anything else. In early tests, rafts carrying sandbags flew off the slide, prompting engineers to tear down half of the ride and reconfigure some angles at a cost of $1 million, Henry said. The trust said that if the company defaults on its Kansas City mortgage, then the loan would either be restructured or EPR could even foreclose on Schlitterbahns collateral that got the loan in the first place. The poles holding the structure up were rusted, and the paint was chipping away. All products are independently selected, tested or recommended by our team of experts. It never really came together for me, the expert said. A humid breeze presses down on the dead summer grass. What unfolded next could be viewed today as an instance of Henrys obsession with being the best. My thoughts are with the boy's family and anyone who witnessed the accident. The waters are shallow and lifeguards are seemingly everywhere at the proliferating number of water parks around the U.S. You feel nauseous driving around it, said Chris Kamler, a forty-six-year-old resident who worked across the highway from the water park when the slide was still standing. TWO teenagers have described the horrific moment they saw a trail of blood following Caleb Schwab's body down a waterslide - after he was tragically killed on the 168ft-high ride. You could tell where people hit it. So sad and I'm sending good vibes to his family. WARNING: The details in . 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! Crews start to dismantle the 17-story Verrckt waterslide on October 30, 2018. August 2018 76. Kobey Lyons told theDailymail.com that he'd been told by woman at the park that day that the velcro straps on the ride were not working properly on the day of the tragedy. Scott Schwabwho was elected Kansass Secretary of Statedeclined to be interviewed. A former Schlitterbahn executive has been arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the 2016 death of Caleb Schwab on the Verruckt water slide. Verrckt opened in July 2014. Supreme Court to Play Jenga with Federal Budget, Merrick Garland Is Going to Have a Long Day, Nebraska Lawmaker Vows to Stop Anti-Trans Bill, Supreme Court Narrowly Averts 'Nullification'. Before they took off, I said, Brothers stick together, Schwab recalled to ABC News. However, the particular ride that killed a 10-year old boy Sunday remains closed. But officers are conducting a death investigation at the park. Instead of a classroom, Henry, whose first job was sweeping his familys resort for twenty-five cents an hour, grew obsessed with water and its possibilities as an engine of entertainment; by the time he was sixteen, hed build his first waterslide. How safe is your neighborhood? Jeff Henry, Schlitterbahns co-owner, and John Schooley, the rides lead designer, are facing second-degree murder charges. It was not immediately clear why as 12-year-old was on the slide. The Kansas City park remained closed Monday as the investigation into what caused the death on the waterslide. "Thats why a full investigation is necessary. She alleged that she was injured by the park's King-Kaw attraction while riding it. DeSantis coming to CA as new poll shows him leading Trump. Nobody expects anything dangerous to happen; maybe pruned fingers or swimmers ear, but that's it. Many lawmakers were at Schlitterbahn for Elected Official Day. Neither Egan nor Dueas has been back since, but Dueas said he isnt opposed to it. Given that safety is our first priority we have closed our Kansas City park and have closed the ride pending a full investigation. You mention his name and the kids say, I know who Caleb is, Kurt Dunn, coach of the Mudcats, told Esquire, adding that the organization retired Calebs No. According to the police report, Caleb Schwab died of a neck injury and was decapitated while riding the 168-foot Verruckt water slide. WHAT DO STATES DO TO REGULATE WATER PARKS? '", "It looked like he must have somehow been ejected from his seat, bounced around between the netting and the slide and just slid down," Friedrichsen said. The 168ft-high Verruckt, which means "insane" in German, was certified as the world's tallest water slide by Guinness World Records. 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. One by one, people visiting their spouses or children at the Overland Park cemetery come by the back corner of the burial ground to chat with me about anything, mainly the oppressive heat, their loved ones, and Caleb. Oh dear lord above, I was sincerely praying for someone to say that slide was painted red. In March 2014, Linda Stomboly sued the water park alleging she was seriously injured in August 2012 on the King Kaw white water rapids attraction, KCUR reports. In a news article linked to the news release announcing a 2014 delay, Schlitterbahn co-owner Jeff Henry told USA Today that he and senior designer John Schooley had based their calculations when designing the slide on roller coasters, but that didn't translate well to a waterslide like Verruckt. The boy was decapitated after the raft on which he was riding went airborne. The Schlitterbahn waterpark, in Kansas city - where Caleb Schwab tragically died on theVerruckt ride Sunday, has been sued three times for negligence since 2014. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. The park's website touts the ride as the 'ultimate in water slide thrills,' subjecting 'adventure seekers' with a 'jaw dropping' 17-story drop, 'only to be blasted back up a second massive hill and then sent down yet another gut wrenching 50-foot drop.'. State Rep. Scott Schwab, an Olathe Republican, and his wife, Michele, released a statement asking for privacy as the family grieves. Witnesses claim he went down the first drop then flew out and hit netting enclosing the ride at Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City, US. The front seat of the raft - where Schwab most likely sat - was empty. Sign up for a new account in our community. 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