John Schooley . Did he enjoy extreme rides? Authorities did not immediately identify the child who died at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City, Kansas, but state Rep. Scott Schwab and his wife released a statement saying it was their son Caleb Thomas Schwab. Melissa Willets is a writer/blogger and a mom. As chance would have it, Schwabs father was a Kansas state representative. ABC News talked with Esteban Castaneda, who. In 2012, the Schlitterbahn co-owner Jeff Henry, together with the senior designer John Schooley, fast-tracked Verrckts construction to coincide with an appearance on a reality TV show about amusement parks. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. It also can degrade with use. "[Nathan] was screaming, 'He flew from Verrckt, he flew Verrckt,'" Caleb's mother said. Henry faced a charge of second-degree murder. Copyright 2023 WABC-TV. 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. According to court documents, a team of experts who inspected the ride after Caleb's death found physical evidence that indicated that other rafts had gone airborne and collided with the overhead hoops and netting before the fatality. Whats more, on July 3, 2014one week before the rides grand openingan engineering firm that was hired to perform accelerometer tests on Verrckts rafts issued a damning report that guaranteed that rafts would occasionally go airborne in a manner that could severely injure or kill the occupants. Other documents cited evidence of dozens of Schlitterbahn customers who had been injured on the ride. She had told him that her safety belt's Velcro came undone towards the end of her ride. Are Janelle, Christine and Meri Suing Kody Over Money From Coyote Pass? All rights reserved. "We will review the ruling carefully, including the court's observation that the ruling 'does not preclude the possibility that the State could continue to pursue this matter in a criminal court,' and take a fresh look at the evidence and applicable law in this tragic and troubling case to determine the best course forward.". 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. See Which Celebrities Announced Pregnancies in 2023 So Far, See Teen Mom OG Alum Mackenzie Edwards Style Transformation: Photos. 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. Removal of the slide had been delayed pending the investigation and trial on the criminal charges, but last year a court gave approval for it to be demolished. In Touch Weekly is part of the a360media Entertainment Group.Copyright a360media 2023. The slide's name means "insane" in German. Castaneda said two other women were strapped into the raft, and the first position of the raft was empty. Kansas City, Kansas -- 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 . 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. "It's an accident, but there is an accounting because someone was negligent," Caleb's father said on GMA. They realized that he was dead, so I don't think they tried to revive him.. By Elizabeth Chuck. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. The story, it turned out, was one of gross negligence, lax state regulations, and the consequences of hubris. Although he has not seen or ridden Verruckt, Martin said a more solid restraint system that fits over the body - similar to those used in roller coasters - may have been better. Had he begged his parents for weeks? Police were investigating the death as a criminal case although police spokesman Cameron Morgan said Tuesday that designation did not mean they suspect foul play. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! . Henry and Schooley were ultimately indicted on charges of aggravated battery, aggravated endangerment of a child, interference with law enforcement, and involuntary manslaughter. In early tests, rafts carrying sandbags flew off the slide, prompting engineers to tear down half the ride and reconfigure some angles. All Rights Reserved. This is likely where Caleb had been sitting. 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 . 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. ABC News talked with Esteban Castaneda, who witnessed the incident at the water park. (They were also gunning for a Guinness World Record.) It features a 168-foot plummet, during which riders in three-person rafts travel as fast as 45 miles per hour. Pastor Clint Sprague, the family spokesperson for the Schwab family said they're heartbroken. Details surrounding the death remain. The water park passed a private inspection in June that included Verruckt, according to a document released by a Kansas state agency. 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. And although the Schlitterbahn Water Park is for families, this ride in particular is meant to attract so-called "thrill-seekers. Caleb Schwab died while riding a water slide at the Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City, police said. A lot of our math was based on roller coasters at first, and that didn't translate to a water slide like this. WARNING: The details in this story are graphic and may not be suitable for all readers. Along the way, riders clutch ropes along the inside of the raft. But the Kansas attorney general said in a statement that he may still consider future criminal charges. Market data provided by Factset. In February, a judge dismissed the charges against Henry and Schooley. At 169 feet tall, Verrckt was the tallest waterslide in the world. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. All Rights Reserved. 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. The slide is 168 feet tall and has 264 stairs leading to the top - taller than the Statue of Liberty. 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. Copyright 2023 WABC-TV. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, The horrific events incident happened onthe 'Verruckt'ride and the boy's brother saw it, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. Black Children Die Because Of Police Neglect and Policing At All Costs, Beaches Turks and Caicos: The All-Inclusive Resort Perfect for Families, Home Safe Home: Childproof Your Home Room by Room, The Best Baby Walker Alternatives for Tots on the Move, 26 Vacation Spots for Families With Big Kids, Know Your Rights With This List of Abortion Laws by State, The Fight Against the Insidious In-patient Programs Promising To Help 'Troubled Teens', The Ultimate Day Trip To Sesame Place Park, CDC Says to Stop Using E-Cigarettes After Several Deaths From EVALI Lung Diseases, Home Swimming Pool Safety Tips All Parents Should Know. 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." A 12-year-old boy died Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016, on the Kansas water slide that was billed as the . Caleb Thomas Schwab, the son of Kansas State Rep. Scott Schwab, was killed Sunday while riding "Verruckt" at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City. According to the lawsuit, Verrckts design violated nearly all aspects of longstanding industry safety standards.. Had he done it before, and alone? Castaneda said he had ridden the slide earlier in the day with his cousin's 14-year-old daughter. 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. 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. Family pastor Clint Sprague told reporters today that Caleb "was an incredible young man" who was "full of life.". Despite the tragedy, visitor numbers were around average three days after, a spokesperson said on Wednesday. The pair had hoped to ride the "World's Largest Waterslide" together. 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! Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. This Nov. 2013 file photo shows Schlitterbahn's Verruckt speed slide/water coaster in Kansas City. Legal Statement. 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. Jeffrey W. Henry at the Verrckt waterslide that he helped design for a Kansas water park. And, please, hug your kids just a little tighter today. Conrad's wife snapped a photo at the end of the ride showing the strap missing, and Conrad didn't file a complaint with the park. Riders go down the slide in multi-person rafts and have to be at last 54 inches tall, according to the park's website. 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. His death seemed like an isolated accident until whistleblowers from the water park revealed experts who examined the slide found evidence indicating other rafts had gone airborne and collided with the overhead hoops and netting before the fatality, according to the indictment. Two women who are not family members were also in the raft at the time and were treated for facial injuries. The Kansas Department of Labor provided a copy of an insurance company inspector's June 7 letter saying inspections had been completed on Wednesday. He described a horrific scene after the boy's death. The defendants included Jeffrey W. Henry, a co-owner of Schlitterbahn Waterparks and Resorts, which is based in Texas; John T. Schooley, a designer of the slide; and Tyler Austin Miles, a former operations director. Video by Nathan Truesdell At 169 feet tall, Verrckt was the tallest waterslide in the world. By Cox Media Group National Content Desk August 10, 2016 at 11:32 am CDT. My first thought was that it must have been a freak accidentwhat a horrible, horrible story, Truesdell told me. They were not related to the boy. On Friday, a state court judge threw out those charges. The two women in Calebs raft sisters who sustained facial injuries and bone fractures also received settlements from the park. "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. Are Tarek and Christina Still Business Partners After 'Flip or Flop'? Family took photos of friend's snapped harness; Details on 'Fox & Friends'. 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. Multiple injuries were reported before his incident. 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