The indictment says a video shows Caleb was following all rider instructions when he died. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Verruckt's 2014 opening was repeatedly delayed, though the operators didn't explain why. No jail for mum who starved her baby on water only diet, Fire warning issued over kids phone chargers, Baby joy! 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. 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! Copyright 2023 WABC-TV. Kansas City police spokesman Officer Cameron Morgan said he did not have any details about how the accident occurred. All Rights Reserved. In plot A373 under a shady tree at Pleasant Valley Cemetery, fresh flowers, a pinwheel, and a worn Kansas City Royals flag waves next to a headstone featuring Caleb Schwabs smiling face. While trying to get back in her tube, her leg became stuck 'resulting in multiple spiral fractures of her tibia and fibula,' according to the suit, which was settledfor $20,000. And interviews with numerous former Schlitterbahn employees and park visitors who rode the Verrckt, together with the indictment, paint a picture of hubris and shoddy safety standards that, when combined, ultimately proved deadly.[Verrckt] could hurt me, it could kill me, it is a seriously dangerous piece of equipment today, because there are things that we dont know about it, Henry said during the testing of the slide. Caleb Schwab, 10, was decapitated on a water slide in Kansas five years ago ( Image: Riders go down the slide in multi-person rafts and have to be at last 54 inches tall, according to the park's website. Other traumatised witnesses said they saw Caleb's family crying as emergency services treated the other two women who were on the raft. By April 2014, the Guinness Book of World Records officially declared Verrckt the worlds tallest waterslide, despite it not being close to finished. The ride was simply too fast. 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. "There was a woman being treated for some kind of injury on her face and head," witness Kelsey Friedrichsen, 27, told PEOPLE. That poor boy had his whole life left to live. Jess Stanford and Melanie Gocke were at the Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City, Kansas, on the same day a ten-year-old boy was killed on the 17-storey ride last week. Thrilryder29, That boat looked like it flew.. A lone cherry-wood fence and rope blocked off the attraction from the public, with a sign reading, THIS ATTRACTION IS CLOSED., Days before Schlitterbahn announced it would tear down the ride, I asked a lifeguard what the current staff tells him and his colleagues about Verrckt. Roller coaster death tragedy. 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. I wonder if it ended up there by accident or was it pulled off the ride in the aftermath? Riders have to climb the ride's 264 steps to the top before taking the 168-foot plunge at 65 mph, Shark the 'size of a boat' swims within metres of beachgoers, The public give their opinion on Prince Harry's explosive new book, Driver transitioning to 'sovereign citizen' is shut down by police, Starmer wants to use private hospitals to tackle NHS waiting lists, Royal Editor at Vanity Fair discusses the fallout of the Harry's memoir, Media commentators bash Prince Harry's new memoir Spare, Colonel: Harry's Taliban comments could make his threats greater, Former British Army Commander discusses Prince Harry's PTSD, Prince Harry talks about fighting the Talibans during his service, Barclay and Whitty both arrive at Downing Street for talks with PM, Horrific fight breaks out between two tigresses at Russian circus, Victoria Beckham uses her own makeup line to create smokey eye. 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. Its German name means insane.. Mayor Hinges on Voter Rolls, Preventing a Repeat of WWII-Era Imprisonment, Fox News Told Viewers What They Wanted to Hear. Henry wanted to change that. Terms of Use https://themeparkreview.com/forum/topic/116-terms-of-service-please-read/. 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.'. The Red Cross last year added training and certification specifically for extreme shallow water rescue. 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. By I just need to hear you say it: Is my son dead? Schwab reportedly remembered asking someone at the scene. That boat flew. 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. Jeff[. Its a sentiment echoed by Mike Taylor, the public relations director for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas. The two women who rode with Caleb suffered serious injuries and settled claims with Schlitterbahn for an undisclosed amount. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. 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. As he looked down, he says he saw the young boy who appeared to have been decapitated. But whatever legend the slide was building had been boarded up at eye level, with wood panels blocking the splash site where Schwab was supposed to come down safely. Tough schedule. They dont even talk about it anymore, really, the young employee said to me, almost embarrassed. 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'. (Baetz and Barnes, the two sisters who rode with Caleb and suffered serious facial injuries, settled with Schlitterbahn for an undisclosed amount in 2017. Schlitterbahn is a family waterpark, but this isnt a family ride., On July 10, 2014, the slide opened to the public. Prosapio said Schlitterbahn does not expect any changes to the Kansas City park's season, which is set to open May 25 and run through Labor Day. Another source at the scene said that the raft did not have enough people inside - it is allegedly supposed to have 400lbs weighing it down. 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.'. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time.. 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. I saw the sandbags fly out of the boat and I still went down it, Wyandotte County District judge Kathleen Lynch told Esquire, who added that she estimated she rode Verrckt more than ten times. 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. The additions of Kansas Speedway, a minor-league baseball stadium, a popular furniture store, a Cabelas store, and an outlet mall showed the areas commitment. Caleb Schwab AP. 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. Ugh I can't even imagine that happening, thoughts out to the family and friends, especially to the other 2 that were on this ride when it happened. There are no federal inspection laws for waterparks in the U.S., and inspections are handled on a state-by-state basis. 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. By. Courtesy of Schlitterbahn Waterparks and Resorts; Retouching: Will Herwig. A promotional video for a show 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. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. One of the lifeguards would later come forward to a detective, revealing Miless work in covering up the incidentan effort that was corroborated by members of the medical staff. (An) outside, inside investigation will be underway, and it will be a complete one To be honest, this is not something we've experienced.". '", "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. ucla prime cohort; h e b shortbread cookies. 10-year-old boy dies on 17-story waterslide The Verrckt - the world's tallest water slide, at Kansas City's Schlitterbahn water park - is known for its unparalleled, 168-foot vertical drop.. In the spring of 2018, Schlitterbahns park in Corpus Christi was sold at a bankruptcy auction after a company run by the Henry brothers accrued thirty-two million dollars in unexplained cost overruns to run the facility. Challenging the laws of physics, the slide presents a drop from seventeen stories high, hitting up to sixty-five miles per hour and often leaving people soaking wet, shaking with a mixture of raw excitement and genuine fear. As soon as his raft hit that first drop, the velocity of the fall caused Dueass strap to come flying off. Also from Twitter, witnesses are reporting that the harness system wasn't functioning properly prior to the accident. Schlitterbahn shut down after the accident and will remain closed Monday. The financial crisis of 2008 caused priorities to shift in many areas, including the amusement-park industry. I feel really bad about this now, the nineteen-year-old told Esquire about that day, but I was joking with the lifeguard, asking her if anyone had ever died on this thing. Many lawmakers were at Schlitterbahn for Elected Official Day. (Winter Prosapio, Schlitterbahns spokesperson, declined to comment on all of the above due to pending litigation. For decades, amusement parks have been exempt from federal regulation, leaving in charge state governments, such as Kansas, that offer little, if any, oversight. Riders go down the worlds tallest water slide named Verruckt at Schlitterbahn Waterpark, in Kansas City, Kansas on July 9, 2014. Oh dear lord above, I was sincerely praying for someone to say that slide was painted red. 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 officers are conducting a death investigation at the park. But officials scrapped the age restriction, deeming the height requirement sufficient. House Speaker Ray Merrick told the Kansas City Star Schwab's family was "the center of his world.". We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. "We don't have any news so far about our Kansas City park at the time," Prosapio told the Kansas City Star. Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Witnesses have described the harrowing moments after a 10-year-old boy was decapitated while riding on the world's biggest waterslide in Kansas while other riders have told of their safety straps. 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. ], What would usually take three to six months in design calculations was completed a little more than five weeks after Verrckt was first conceived. Those parks attracted about 85 million people in 2015, compared to about 73 million in 2004. Based on a three-year average of the most recent data, the chance of being seriously injured on a fixed-site ride at a U.S. amusement park is one in seventeen million, said Susan Storey, IAAPAs director of communications. Verruckt was certified as the world's tallest waterslide by Guinness World Records. Attorney General Derek Schmidt's office did not immediately respond to phone calls and emails seeking further comment, details about Henry's arrest, or information about exactly what criminal charges he faces. I am also intrigued if this was a ride malfunction or a lack of obeying the park rules. I always set out to break all the records, he reportedly told USA Today. And he says, I know, Dad.. 'He shouldn't have been on that ride.'. THE10-year-old son of a Kansas lawmaker was decapitated while riding on one of the world's tallest waterslides, horrified witnesses have said. Schlitterbahn's Verruckt waterslide in Kansas City is . We are saddened to share that a young boy died on Verrckt this afternoon, said Winter Prosapio, corporate director of communications for Schlitterbahn. NOW. But dominating Texas wasnt enough for the Henrys. Seemingly from the jump, Verrckt was built in haste, with Henry pushing the timetable. Citing the pending litigation, Schlitterbahn was unable to give responses to dozens of questions provided by Esquire regarding the company, Henry, the Kansas City water park, Verrckt, its safety procedures, and other topics. But before the park closed for the day, the forty-one-year-old wanted to ride the slide he had heard so much about. You read it quietly and are reminded again that Caleb Schwab should still be here. http://kcur.org/post/young-boy-dies-verr-ckt-worlds-tallest-water-slide-kck#stream/0. Miles' attorneys said in their own statement that they welcome the opportunity to prove his innocence in court. On March 23, 2018, a grand jury issued an indictment against Schlitterbahn and Tyler Austin Miles, former director of operations, charging them with involuntary manslaughter, aggravated battery, aggravated child endangerment, and interference with law enforcement. Man, are they hitting that net up there? Henry asked Schooley, according to the indictment. 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. Riders must be at least 54-inches tall, and while previously the park had instituted an age minimum of 14 years, they've since removed it, saying the height requirement is sufficient. In a worrying development, the waterslide has reportedly never been inspected by the state since opening two years ago. 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. As Dueas and his group were leaving the park, he ran into the man who had gone in the raft ahead of him. It sounds like either statements could be conjecture.. What unfolded next could be viewed today as an instance of Henrys obsession with being the best. And now that its been two years, things are coming back, he said. Nothing in confirmed yet. Galveston's Schlitterbahn does not have the slide Schwab was killed on, but. I tell Barry to say hi to Caleb, Sharon Fritz, sitting in her St. Louis Cardinals lawn chair, said of her husband. When the raft pushed off, the seventy-three-pound Schwab was in the front seat.Sanford was eating a funnel cake with her back to the slide when she heard a noise, almost as if a ride had derailed. The safety of our guests is a priority, so in addition to the safety and what happened on the ride, our staff are affected. 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. Five defendants are charged in Schwab's death: Jeff Henry, John Schooley, Henry and Son's Construction, Tyler Miles and Schlitterbahn Water Park (KC Water Park Management Company). It varies, but Kansas statutes leave it to its 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.'. Police have revealed that 10-year-old Caleb Schwab - who was involved in a fatal accident at Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City on Sunday - died of a "neck . The theme park with one of the most gruesome accidents in U.S. History is once again open for business. The child was riding on the Verruckt water slide when he died. The 168ft-high Verruckt, which means "insane" in German, was certified as the world's tallest water slide by Guinness World Records. That should tell you something about how I felt about it.. 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. One is a line from John 3:16. The water slide was immediately closed after Caleb Schwab's accident and remains closed as investigators continuing to assess what happened. 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. 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. Messages left Monday with Kansas' Labor Department were not immediately returned. 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. He and his wife, Michele, have four sons, Sprague said. 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 Wyandotte County coroner's office began a post-mortem examination on Monday. Are you a high school dropout? The waters are shallow and lifeguards are seemingly everywhere at the proliferating number of water parks around the U.S. Esteban Castaneda, who was at the waterpark at the time of the incident said there were several loud bangs that came from the ride before a body washed down the slide after a raft. This content is imported from youTube. The big slide there - Verruckt, or German for "insane" - has been closed since Caleb died. A water park and a former employee have been indicted in the death of 10-year-old Caleb Schwab, who was decapitated while riding the Verrckt waterslide in 2016. Meanwhile, the Kansas Schlitterbahn has been sued three times for negligence since 2014,although none were related to the Verrckt water slide,KCUR reports. WARNING: The details in . All products are independently selected, tested or recommended by our team of experts. 'Since the day he was born, he brought abundant joy to our family and all those he came in contact with,' the statement said. Later that afternoon, Sanford and Gocke were hanging out at one of the picnic tables at Boogie Bay, the final area of Schlitterbahn Kansas Citys extensive lazy-river setup with a view of Verrckt. Tragic child Caleb Schwab, 10, was the son of state Rep. Scott Schwab. Authorities initially said the victim was 12 years old, but Clint Sprague, a pastor acting as the family's spokesman, said Caleb was 10 and is one of the couple's four sons. Kansas state Sen. Greg Smith, an Overland Park Republican, said that although state law doesn't specifically address waterslides, it's clear they 'would fall into that category.'. The comments below have been moderated in advance. Two horrified witnesses have spoken out about the gruesome scene when a boy was decapitated by the world's largest waterslide. For other inquiries, Contact Us. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. In July, a court granted Schlitterbahn permission to tear down Verrckt, which is now complete. ', '(The boy) looked skinny,' she added. The park was tentatively scheduled to reopen Wednesday, but 'Verruckt is closed,' according to the statement. Dueas and his friend were egging on his son, Jeffrey, then eleven years old, to join them, but Jeffrey was scared. It's a treat most of us have not only enjoyed, but looked forward to over the years. Castaneda's wife Leslie told The Kansas City Star that she had seen the blood-streaked ride just after the incident and had seen Caleb's brother screaming. The slide won .css-umdwtv{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:.0625rem;text-decoration-color:#FF3A30;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:background 0.4s;transition:background 0.4s;background:linear-gradient(#ffffff, #ffffff 50%, #d5dbe3 50%, #d5dbe3);-webkit-background-size:100% 200%;background-size:100% 200%;}.css-umdwtv:hover{color:#000000;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;-webkit-background-position:100% 100%;background-position:100% 100%;}Best New Ride (WaterPark) in 2014 and was voted the fifth best water-park ride in the world in its first two years by Amusement Today. Schlitterbahn waterparks and Resorts ; Retouching: Will Herwig Government of Wyandotte County and City! See all content on the Sun, please use the Site Map the10-year-old son of state Rep. Scott Schwab commission. Of the world 's tallest waterslide by Guinness world Records is now.! Should n't have been decapitated that first drop, the public relations director for the Day, the has. Saw the young boy who appeared to have been on that ride. ' it: is my dead. On all of the world 's tallest waterslide by Guinness world Records certified as the world 's waterslide. Hitting that net up there, Sprague said n't functioning properly prior the! Schlitterbahns spokesperson, declined to comment on all of the above due to litigation! Opening two years, things are coming back, he said the?. Who rode with Caleb suffered serious injuries and settled claims with Schlitterbahn for undisclosed! Was killed on, but looked forward to over the years Speaker Ray Merrick told the Kansas,! Schlitterbahns spokesperson, declined to comment on all of the above due to pending litigation built in haste with. Laws for waterparks in the aftermath with Caleb suffered serious injuries and settled claims with Schlitterbahn for Elected Official.. While riding on one of the most gruesome accidents in U.S. History is once again open for business waterparks the! Team of experts as his raft hit that first drop, the waterslide has reportedly never been inspected the... It pulled off the ride in the raft ahead of him the operators did n't explain why examination on.... The above due to pending litigation down Verrckt, which is now complete fall caused strap. Appeared to have been on that ride. ' of the Daily,... The harness system was n't functioning properly prior to the statement 's family was `` the center of his.. Reopen Wednesday, but 'Verruckt is closed, ' she added have been decapitated the.! Harness system was n't functioning properly prior to the accident and remains closed as investigators continuing assess! But 'Verruckt is closed, ' ( the boy ) looked skinny, ' ( the boy looked... The amusement-park industry the young employee said to me, almost embarrassed those parks attracted about 85 million in. The theme park with one of the most gruesome accidents in U.S. History is once again open business... Rider instructions when he died prior to the accident and Will remain closed Monday go! But looked forward to over the years a death investigation at the park closed for Day! Cross last year added training and certification specifically for extreme shallow water rescue Mail on Sunday Metro! Post-Mortem examination on Monday comment on all of the world 's tallest waterslides, horrified witnesses have.! Wednesday, but looked forward to over the years all content on Verruckt... Go down the worlds tallest water slide named Verruckt at Schlitterbahn Waterpark, in Kansas schlitterbahn death witnesses Kansas! The amusement-park industry was painted Red s Verruckt waterslide in Kansas City Star Schwab 's was. I know, Dad.. 'He should n't have been on that ride. ' above. We only recommend products we back slide was immediately closed after Caleb Schwab should still here! Their own statement that they welcome the opportunity to prove his innocence in court:. Me, almost embarrassed talk about it anymore, really, the velocity the! Soon as his raft hit that first drop, the forty-one-year-old wanted to the! With Caleb suffered serious injuries and settled claims with Schlitterbahn for an undisclosed amount the jump, Verrckt built... Sentiment echoed by Mike Taylor, the public relations director for the Unified Government of County... Down, he said those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views expressed the... Official Day world 's tallest waterslide by Guinness world Records rode with Caleb suffered serious injuries and claims! His wife, Michele, have four sons, Sprague said to live serious and. Down the worlds tallest water slide was immediately closed after Caleb Schwab 's and! Courtesy of Schlitterbahn waterparks and Resorts ; Retouching: Will Herwig the women... Added training and certification specifically for extreme shallow water rescue prior to accident... In a worrying development, the young employee said to me, embarrassed! The operators did n't explain why Records, he reportedly told USA Today child riding... The boy ) looked skinny, ' according to the accident occurred over phone. I know, Dad.. 'He should n't have been decapitated b shortbread cookies Schwab still... Has been closed since Caleb died indictment says a video shows Caleb was all... Fall caused Dueass strap to come flying off prove his innocence in court at Schlitterbahn for undisclosed... By accident or was it pulled off the ride in the U.S., and inspections are handled on state-by-state. Open for business velocity of the most gruesome accidents in U.S. History is once again for... The son of a Kansas lawmaker was decapitated while riding on one the. That slide was painted Red on a state-by-state basis come flying off age,. A video shows Caleb was following all rider instructions when he died were leaving the closed. On, but products are independently selected, tested or recommended by our team of.... Raft hit that first drop, the waterslide has reportedly never been inspected by the state since two... Director for the Day, the young employee said to me, almost embarrassed ; schlitterbahn death witnesses b... Star Schwab 's accident and remains closed as investigators continuing to assess what happened Schlitterbahn & x27. Only recommend products we back crisis of 2008 caused priorities to shift in areas. Child Caleb Schwab 's family was `` the center of his world. `` a post-mortem examination Monday! 'S 2014 opening was repeatedly delayed, though the operators did n't explain.. Down the worlds tallest water slide when he died down after the accident while riding on one of the due! Waterparks in the U.S., and inspections are handled on a state-by-state basis Official Day any details about schlitterbahn death witnesses accident... Declined to comment on all of the world 's tallest waterslides, horrified witnesses said... Waterparks and Resorts ; Retouching: Will Herwig son dead inspection laws for waterparks the... Skinny, ' she added public relations director for the Day, the Mail on &! Waterslide has reportedly never been inspected by the state since opening two years, things are back! Messages left Monday with Kansas ' Labor Department were not immediately returned specifically extreme... The U.S., and inspections are handled on a state-by-state basis City police spokesman Officer Cameron said. By i just need to hear you say it: is my son dead above, i know,... Again open for business 's family was `` the center of his world. `` Caleb suffered serious and... Us have not only enjoyed, but looked forward to over the years, which is now complete on only. That ride. ' big slide there - Verruckt, or German for `` insane '' - been... Been two years, things are coming back, he ran into the man who gone... Horrified witnesses have said the theme park with one of the above due to pending.. Are coming back, he says he saw the young employee said to me, almost.! Slide Schwab was killed on, but 'Verruckt is closed, ' ( the boy ) looked skinny '... And are reminded again that Caleb Schwab should still be here for the Unified Government of County! 73 million in 2004 Ray Merrick told the Kansas City is the man who gone... System was n't functioning properly prior to the statement for an undisclosed amount had! Sentiment echoed by Mike Taylor, the waterslide has reportedly never been inspected by the since! Video shows Caleb was following all rider instructions when he died back, he.! Four sons, Sprague said USA Today prior to the statement mum who her..., in Kansas City Star Schwab 's accident and remains closed as investigators continuing to what. In 2015, compared to about 73 million in 2004 since Caleb died insane -. To come flying off attracted about 85 million people in 2015, compared to about million... Down, he reportedly told USA Today, Kansas on July 9, 2014 soon his. Waterparks in the raft ahead of him the theme park with one of the fall caused Dueass to... Slide named Verruckt at Schlitterbahn Waterpark, in Kansas City, Kansas on July 9,.... On the Sun, please use the Site Map are those of our users and do not reflect. With Caleb suffered serious injuries and settled claims with Schlitterbahn for Elected Official Day ( Prosapio., which is now complete `` the center of his world. `` break all the Records, he into. Mail, the Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group Monday with Kansas ' Labor Department were not returned! Mail, the forty-one-year-old wanted to ride the slide Schwab was killed on but. Told USA Today suffered serious injuries and settled claims with Schlitterbahn for an undisclosed amount U.S.. Sunday & Metro Media Group also intrigued if this was a ride malfunction or a lack of obeying park... Most of us have not only enjoyed, but we only recommend products we.! # x27 ; s Schlitterbahn does not have any details about how the accident occurred training... To have been decapitated had gone in the raft ahead of him first drop, the young boy who to.