2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. After delays forced the park into a soft opening in 2009 and a full-season opening in 2010, Schlitterbahn Kansas City, without any of the lodging originally envisioned, was labeled as a $180 million investment, missing the initial projection by more than three-quarters of the value. "), "I believe the state's presentation today only reinforces the validity of our arguments," said attorney Jeff Morris on January 25. Witnesses at the time said he went down the first drop, then flew out and hit the netting that enclosed the ride. As Dueas and his group were leaving the park, he ran into the man who had gone in the raft ahead of him. Man, are they hitting that net up there? Henry asked Schooley, according to the indictment. Castaneda said a lifeguard was trying to control the crowd as he tried to help but soon it seemed apparent that the boy had been decapitated. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Whatever the investigators discover, the news will come too late for Caleb Schwab; a kid who just wanted to try out a big, cool water slide. Schlitterbahn death was due to neck injury, police say The indictment against Miles notes that although Henry possessed no "technical or engineering credentials" he controlled "many key. Caleb's friend called for help but the medics were unable to revive him, the girls recalled. Mayor Hinges on Voter Rolls, Preventing a Repeat of WWII-Era Imprisonment, Fox News Told Viewers What They Wanted to Hear. The only thing Sanford, a self-proclaimed adrenaline junkie, did know on this summer road trip was that Schlitterbahn Kansas City had an attraction no other water park could claim: the Verrckt, the tallest waterslide in the world. You could tell where people hit it. The park will be closed todayand the ride will be closed pending the investigation, Prosapio said. Do you have any engineering or business background? As of now, it is unclear whether the park will open for the 2019 seasonseason passes were made available for Schlitterbahn's four Texas locations earlier this month, but not for Kansas City. I remember watching the TV show last year of them building it and having to re-profile it a couple of times due to the dummies flying out of the tube and chute. Because of heavy demand, rides are scheduled by reservation at the time the park opens each day. The boy was decapitated after the raft on which he was riding went airborne. Before they took off, I said, Brothers stick together, Schwab recalled to ABC News. The lifeguard also said that Schlitterbahn had only a select group of more experienced employees present for the slides testing. 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. Since the day he was born, he brought abundant joy to our family and all those who he came into contact with, the Schwabs said. No figures are available for overall water park injuries, but the Red Cross cited U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates when it launched updated training efforts last year for lifeguards who work at water parks. Police have now released. My thoughts are with the boy's family and anyone who witnessed this. As Michele Schwab, Caleb's mother, tried to get closer to see what was going on, a gentleman stopped her. Either way, it's tragic. Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Henry wanted to change that. It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Accident happened on Verrckt slide this afternoon. Thrilryder29, He said he had to grip the handles using his legs and told park staff what happened once he got down. However, the particular ride that killed a 10-year old boy Sunday remains closed. State law leaves it to the Kansas Department of Labor to adopt rules and regulations relating to certification and inspection of rides, adding that an amusement ride at a permanent location 'shall be self-inspected by a qualified inspector at least every 12 months.'. He would, however, be more cautious given what happened at the park two weeks after he went and how he urged his son, not much older than Schwab, to ride Verrckt. Its a sentiment echoed by Mike Taylor, the public relations director for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas. The boy's body was covered up with a sheet. 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. RELATED: Water park, ex-employee charged in 10-year-old's 2016 death on ride, Schlitterbahn spokeswoman Winter Prosapio said in a statement that considering last week's indictment, the company is not surprised by Henry's arrest. During an October 2007 state legislature hearing, Kansas lawmakers pressed Mike Hutfles, a lobbyist with Schlitterbahn, on whether the company would be opposed to pursuing a requirement for safety inspections. View our online Press Pack. One said she had her eyes closed for the whole ride. But officers are conducting a death investigation at the park. Such a tragedy. In addition, the judge found that witnesses improperly testified about the 2013 death of a lifeguard at Schlitterbahn's South Padre Island water park in Texas, which he said would be inadmissible . The 370-acre (1.5 km 2 ), $750 million development included a nearly 40-acre (160,000 m 2) waterpark, which is Schlitterbahn's fourth waterpark and its first outside Texas . Verrckt opened in July 2014. with safety concerns now raised over the ride. Henry is also facing separate charges for drug possession, including a felony count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and hiring someone for sex. Show more World's Tallest Water Slide Tragedy ABC News. Courtesy of Schlitterbahn Waterparks and Resorts; Retouching: Will Herwig. Photo: David Strickland via AP. 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. I said, Mmmm, I just announced this major new ride. Steven Tyson, his assistant at the time, added: He wasnt the tallest and he wasnt the fastest, so he decided to make that happen., Schooley would recall to Gizmodo in July 2014 their reasoning for building Verrckt: Basically, we were crazy enough to try anything.. A Wyandotte County judge has thrown out all five remaining criminal indictments stemming from the death three years ago of 10-year-old Caleb Schwab on the Verruckt water slide at the. There, Schlitterbahn was born. Timothy Bella is a staff writer and editor for the Washington Post, focusing on national news. SCHLITTERBAHN WATERPARK SUED THREE TIMES SINCE OPENING IN 2014, Isabel Oakeshott receives 'menacing' message from Matt Hancock, Moment man casually executes homeless man on St Louis sidewalk, Dashcam captures moment two cars collide on a roundabout, Putin orders intelligence service to find 'scum' who oppose him, Child reads from sexually explicit book at Maine school board meeting, Woman appears to fake injury while arguing with tradie next door, Amplified jet stream could lead to 'disruptive snow in places', AFA president gives passionate rant speaking about student debt, Shocking moment students pepper-sprayed during anti-racism protest, AG Garland says every prisoner 'deserves dignity and respect', Moment teenager crashes into back of lorry after 100mph police race, Gruesome details revealed in boy's water slide death at Kansas water park | abc7.com, Schlitterbahn Has Been Sued At Least Three Times For Negligence Since 2014 | KCUR, Do not sell or share my personal information. "Schlitterbahn is a family water park, but this isn't a family ride. Published: 01:53 GMT, 9 August 2016 | Updated: 16:37 GMT, 9 August 2016. Visitors flocked to Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City, Kansas, to experience its thrill. Henry, best known locally for designing the Verruckt water slide in Kansas City, Kansas, that caused the death of a young boy, faces up to 57 months in prison if he violates his probation. The two women who rode with Caleb suffered serious injuries and settled claims with Schlitterbahn for an undisclosed amount. Todd Kohlhepp murdered 4 employees at the Superbike Motorsport in South Carolina, after the employees had "embarrassed" him and refused to give him a refund for a motorcycle. Aside from the steady soundtrack of Bon Jovi, Taylor Swift, and Justin Bieber, Schlitterbahn was eerily quiet from my float on Boogie Bay. Henry later told Texas Monthly he was acting when he said those things in order to glamorize Verrckt, but at the time, he continued to glorify the ride's danger: Its complex, its fast, its mean. ), The only time I saw the slide run successfully was on the Travel Channel episode, but I wouldnt even call that successful, said the lifeguard, who was part of a select group of employees present for the taping after the park closed that day. The ride was simply too fast. It opened in 2010, one of five water parks operated by the New Braunfels, Texas-based corporation, Schlitterbahn Waterparks & Resorts. Time, is of the essence. I said, Its a speed blaster. Well, it didnt exist. The two other women on the tide, who were not related to Caleb, were still strapped inside the raft with one nursing a broken jaw and another with a broken face bone,while the first seat in the raft was empty, likely to have been where Caleb was sitting. The trial for Henry, Schooley, and Miles, which was scheduled to begin on September 10, has been delayed, with no new date set. According to the police report, Caleb Schwab died of a neck injury and was decapitated while riding the 168-foot Verruckt water slide. We have to understand what's happened. An image, obtained by Heavy, shows netting being removed from a portion of the ride following the tragic incident on Sunday. The construction employee, who compared their projects for Schlitterbahn to working for Disneyland, said that while modifying the slide wasnt intimidating, it was certainly exhausting.This kind of project had never been done before, the construction employee said. Caleb Thomas. But then how did a water-park company that embodied the American success story, a family business that made it big, go wrong? While the amusement-park industry continues to have a stronger safety record compared to many everyday activities, what makes the case in Kansas City different is an alleged criminal element at the heart of a fatality. Even with the slide finally down, a community that once looked to Schlitterbahn as a summer refuge remains shaken and searching for answers of what went wrong. The company also promised to aggressively fight the criminal charges against Miles and the park, and respond to the allegations in the 47-page indictment "point by point.". Email us attips@the-sun.co.ukor call 0207 782 4368. Are you a high school dropout? For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Caleb Thomas Schwab, 10, died in an accident on theworld's tallest waterslide in Kansas City, Caleb Thomas Schwab was decapitated while on the ride with his family, including his father Scott Schwab, a Kansas state lawmaker, left devastated, Witnesses said they were devastated when they saw the blood streaked Verruckt slide, The waterslide in Kansas City is billed as the world's tallest and is 168ft high, The ride is named Verruck and translates to "insane" in German, Caleb was the son of Kansas Republican state representative Scott Schwab, Fire engines pictured at the scene of the accident yesterday, Those wanting to ride the waterslide must climb 264 stairs to reach the top, The ride uses rafts to hold groups of people as they fly down at speeds of 65mph, Republican Scott Schwab's son Caleb was killed while ridingon the Verruckt attraction at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City. 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