According to People . Aside from Kansas City, the park was located in Dallas as were a number of other parks owned by the company. WARNING: The details in this story are graphic and may not be suitable for all readers. On November 6, 2020, Homefield LLC signed an agreement with the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas to fund the redevelopment of the former Schlitterbahn lot for $90 million into an amateur sports complex. He flew from Verruckt! Henry was arrested in Cameron County for charges stemming from a Kansas-based grand jury indictment regarding the 2016 death of a 10-year-old-boy at the Schlitterbahn company's Kansas City waterpark. The opening of the 17-storey free-fall water ride was revealed to have been pushed back twice with footage of the ride being tested showing rafts flying from the huge ride. 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 of 10-year-old Caleb Thomas Schwab from a neck injury while riding the worlds tallest water slide. That is, until August 7, 2016, when the raft that 10-year-old Caleb Schwab was riding went airborne . REACTION: Parents concerned at Houston-area water parks. Is 90 Day Fiance Star Sherlon Married Following Aryanna Split. Other traumatised witnesses said they saw Caleb's family crying as emergency services treated the other two women who were on the raft. They leave that up to the parks.". [20] To prevent the rafts lifting off the slide, rider groups were weighed twice once at the bottom and again at the top before riding to ensure a combined weight between 400 pounds (180kg) and 550 pounds (250kg), and that single riders are below 300 pounds (140kg). Today is the fifth anniversary of the traumatic death. Most Dramatic Celeb Hair Transformations of 2023, Real Housewives of New Jerseys Gia Giudice Best Bikini Moments, Lets Go to the Beach! Riders were held in by nothing more than Velcro straps. Republican lawmaker Scott Schwab's son Calebdied on the Verruckt attraction at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City. Caleb Thomas Schwab, the son of Kansas state Rep. Scott Schwab, was killed Sunday while riding "Verruckt" at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City. [13] Engineers who inspected the ride also commented that the ride's netting, used in areas where riders travel up to 70 miles per hour (110km/h), "posed its own hazard because a rider moving at high speeds could easily lose a limb if they hit it". "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Riders go down the slide in multi-person rafts and have to be at last 54 inches tall, according to the parks website. It was featured on an episode of Xtreme Waterparks on the Travel Channel in June 2014 shortly before the ride opened. The ride was designed at the park, led by John Schooley with assistance from park co-owner Jeff Henry. [37] Settlements involving the other two riders who were injured in the accident were undisclosed. ", He said he had told park staff, saying: "They kinda said, 'Oh no, really' or something 'yes, that's not good'. [2][48][49][50] Schooley was arrested at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport after returning from a trip to China on April 2, 2018. When the ride first opened in 2014, co-owner and Verruckt creator Jess Henry told USA Today: "We had many issues on the engineering side. At 168feet 7inches (51.38m),[4] the starting point was taller than Niagara Falls[5] and reached a maximum speed of 65 miles per hour (105km/h). A 168 foot water slide at a Kansas theme park is billed as the tallest in the world, but a boy named Caleb Schwab died in front of his family. Subscribe to KMBC on YouTube now for more: . A local woman whose boyfriend held her in the raft likewise noted to Esquire that the netting and hoops on the lower hump showed signs of many human collisions. The initial drop was a 17-story plunge with a five-story uphill section. She said: "It looked like he must have somehow been ejected from his seat, bounced around between the netting and the slide and just slide down. He said: "As soon as I hit the bottom of the first curve the shoulder strap just kind of busted loose. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Police and firefighters found . In the statement, police said: "Caleb Schwab was 1 of 3 passengers riding in a boat on the Verruckt Water Slide on August 7th, 2016. [20] Cedar Fair did not pursue purchasing the property within those 120 days and the park remained standing but not operating. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. 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The Verruckt ride, which means "insane" in German, was open at the Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City, Kansas, when Caleb was killed. The charges were ultimately dismissed with the finding of multiple procedural issues with the case's presentation by the Kansas Attorney General. Verruckt was certified as the world's tallest water slide by Guinness World Records. "The Kansas City, Kansas Police and Fire Departments responded to the scene and located Caleb Schwab, 10 years old, dead from a fatal neck injury at the end of the ride, in the pool. Caleb Schwab, 10, died in front of his family while riding a 168ft-high water slide in Kansas at Schlitterbahn Water Park. In wrongful death cases the limit is $250,000. Experts Say Caleb Schwab Should Have Been In Center Seat", "State of Kansas v. Tyler Austin Miles, Schlitterbahn Waterpark of Kansas City, Kansas", "Schlitterbahn Kansas City announces Verruckt water slide to be removed after child death in August", "Schlitterbahn will close Verrckt water slide where 10-year-old boy was killed", "Cedar Fair reaches deal to acquire Schlitterbahn water parks in Texas", "Schlitterbahn to tear down Verruckt water slide in KCK where young boy died in 2016", "Court Grants Permission To Destroy World's Tallest Waterslide", "Plans to tear down water slide where boy died on hold", "Demolition begins on Schlitterbahn's Verruckt", "Cedar Fair, parent company of Worlds of Fun, purchases Texas Schlitterbahn waterparks, with rights to KCK property", "A boy was decapitated on a waterslide. 6. 4 likes. Kenneth Conrad told Fox4that his friend's shoulder strap had come "completely off" during a ride on the slide last year. Those who reached him first "just realised he was dead and didn't try to revive him", she added. The Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City had . The UG said the location of the former courthouse annex is a part of the developer's phase 2 & 3 plans . Schlitterbahn Kansas City said once the investigation is concluded and its given permission by . Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much In this photo taken with the fisheye lens, riders go down the world's tallest waterslide called "Verruckt" at Schlitterbahn Waterpark, Wednesday, July 9, 2014, in Kansas City, Kan. Charlie Riedel, AP Since the incident, PEOPLE has learned that Verruckt's scheduled 2014 opening was delayed multiple times due to glitches, including one issue that caused water rafts to fly off the slide and into the air. [11][12] The Guinness Book of World Records named Verrckt the world's tallest water slide in April 2014, before it was even finished. The 168ft-high Verruckt, which means insane in German, was certified as the worlds tallest water slide by Guinness World Records. [22] Their findings revealed that the use of the metal brace and netting system in the design,[9] along with the use of hook and loop straps to restrain the riders,[32] violated guidelines set by ASTM F-24 Committee on Amusement Ride and Devices. They both the heartbreakingly revealed that they most missed giving little Caleb hugs, with Scott saying he especially missed his "morning hug" with his son who was torn away from him. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. It's the scariest thing I've done.". Designers of the waterslide had so many problems they had to delay the grand opening. Darcey, Stacey Gush About Cape Verdean Background. ", He said he had told park staff, saying: "They kinda said, 'Oh no, really' or something 'yes, that's not good'. The slide is 168-feet tall and has 264 stairs . The Kansas waterslide on which a 10-year-old boy was decapitated two years ago will be demolished later this year, officials announced Thursday. When I heard a noise that didnt sound like it was supposed to come from that kind of ride, thats when I turned around, Sanford said. He flew from Verruckt! 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. When complete, he recommended that only riders aged 16 and over be allowed on the ride. See Photos! ", Our deepest condolences to the entire Schwab family on their loss. He would have fallen down without the raft, it's kind of like a tube.". Did Brady play his last game at Raymond James? Jessica Alba Celebrates Her Son's 5th Birthday with Family, Plus More Celebs at Disney Parks! appreciated. Kansas City, Kansas, police spokesman Officer Cameron Morgan said the boy died at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark, which is located about 15 miles west of downtown Kansas City, Missouri. They were not related to the boy. "[46], Three days later, on March 26, Henry was arrested in Cameron County, Texas, in connection with the incident. Experience unique adventures like King Kaw, the longest inner-tubing ride in the Midwest and Boogie Bahn, the only surfing ride in Kansas City. 2023 Cable News Network. At a height of 168feet 7inches (51.38m), 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. Schwab and his wife released a statement confirming it was their son Caleb Thomas Schwab, whose family were at the park with him when he died. [3] Designed by Schlitterbahn co-owner Jeff Henry, Verrckt was a three-person raft slide with an uphill section. [14] Because it was beyond the 120 feet (37m) that zoning codes permitted, the design required a variance. Plus more Celebs at Disney parks Scott Schwab 's son Calebdied on the slide in Kansas City the death! 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