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 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 . Video by Nathan Truesdell At 169 feet tall, Verrckt was the tallest waterslide in the world. Speaking anonymously, a source close to the inquiry confirmed the boy was decapitated. The lifeguard looked at me and assured me that its really not a big deal, she told Fox News. That is, until August 7, 2016, when the raft that 10-year-old Caleb Schwab was riding went airborne and hit a metal pole supporting a safety net, resulting in his decapitation and instant death. 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Castaneda said two other woman were strapped into the raft, and the first position of the raft was empty. The death of a 10-year-old Kansas boy who was decapitated in a 2016 water slide accident led to criminal charges of recklessness and second-degree murder against the owner, designers and builder of the slide, which was billed at the time as the world's tallest. We are thankful for all the support and encouragement weve received, she added. The Associated Press contributed to this report. It also can get old and degrade with use. I'd urge them not to. Witnesses have described the harrowing moments after a 10-year-old boy was decapitated while riding on the worlds biggest waterslide in Kansas while other riders have told of their safety straps also coming loose . 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. The state alleged that the two men had rushed forward with the rides construction without the technical expertise required to design a properly functioning waterslide, skipped fundamental steps in the design process, and relied almost entirely on crude trial-and-error methods for safety testing. Marshals said. He then saw a raft come through, and "immediately after the raft you see a body," he said. 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. "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. 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. Are Tarek and Christina Still Business Partners After 'Flip or Flop'? Henry faced a charge of second-degree murder. The boy, Caleb Schwab, was with his family at the Schlitterbahn waterpark in Kansas City, Kansas, on Aug. 7, 2016, when the raft he was riding on the 17-story Verrckt waterslide went airborne at the crest of the drop. edit to add: From CNN's article - "Its height of 168 feet 7 inches is 5 feet taller than the previous record holder, a water slide at a Rio de Janeiro country . You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. She had told him her safety belt's Velcro came undone toward the end of her ride. By Melissa Chan. Each strap is held in place by long Velcro-style straps, not by buckles. USA Today reports a full investigation is underway. Many questions are, for now, left unanswered. An investigation has been launched into how the incident occurred on the "Verruckt" raft ride at the Kansas City attraction. By Elizabeth Chuck. "[Nathan] was screaming, 'He flew from Verrckt, he flew Verrckt,'" Caleb's mother said. The Velcro straps are just to make you feel safer. Erica Conrad, a season-pass holder, told "Fox & Friends" on Wednesday she witnessed her friends close call last summer when his straps busted off during the ride. The boy's parents Republican state Rep. Scott Schwab and his wife, Michele have not spoken publicly since the death. In Touch Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. Fellow rider Jess Sanford, from Lincoln, Nebraska, told CNN: When I heard a noise that didn't sound like it was supposed to come from that kind of ride, that's when I turned around. 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. Riders climbed 264 steps to the top before sitting in a raft that plummeted and then soared over a crest on its way to a runoff pool at the bottom. The story, it turned out, was one of gross negligence, lax state regulations, and the consequences of hubris. Reserved. 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. The two women riding in the raft with Caleb suffered minor facial injuries. ABC News talked with Esteban Castaneda, who witnessed the incident at the water park. 10 year old boy Caleb Schwab got decapitated by one of the biggest water slides called "Verrckt" in 2016. They were sending sandbags down and basically hoping that they didn't fly off of the slide. - Claiming corporate executives were rushed, careless and lacked expertise to design a thrill ride . It's important to point out that before riders (who must be at least 54 inches tall) board the raft, a park employee reads them a two-page safety warning. . Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. See Which Celebrities Announced Pregnancies in 2023 So Far, See Teen Mom OG Alum Mackenzie Edwards Style Transformation: Photos. By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and that you have read our Privacy Policy. Access to the Verruckt remained blocked by a 7-foot-high wooden fence. Caleb died Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016, while riding the Verruckt, a water slide that's billed as the world's largest, at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City, Kan. (David Strickland via AP) Another rider, Kenneth Conrad, told WDAF-TV that during his trip down the waterslide last year with a friend, the friend's shoulder strap came "completely off." ", In a statement, Schlitterbahn officials said they "are deeply and intensely saddened for the Schwab family and all who were impacted by the tragic accident.". He was "affectionate" and a "hugger," Sprague said, and he loved baseball, basketball and his church. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Sara Craig, who took her 14-year-old son and his friend to the park on Wednesday said: "I feel guilty having fun when a family is hurting so badly.. A person familiar with the investigation confirmed to The Associated Press on Wednesday the boy was decapitated. The water park is now closed, and the slide has been demolished. 6, See Sister Wives Christine and BF Davids Cutest Moments: Photos, Inside '90 Day Fiance Stars Memphis and Hamzas Custody Battle, Gone Too Soon! The slide's name means "insane" in German. In early tests, rafts carrying sandbags flew off the slide, prompting engineers to tear down half the ride and reconfigure some angles. The two women riding in the raft with Caleb suffered minor facial injuries. KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) A 10-year-old boy was decapitated as he rode a 168-foot tall waterslide at a water park in Kansas, a person familiar with the investigation said Wednesday. ", In fact, even Henry told USA Today upon riding the Verrckt, "I'm still recovering mentally. Are Janelle, Christine and Meri Suing Kody Over Money From Coyote Pass? 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. The Nebraska man said he "just held on," and a video shot by his wife shows the strap loose at the ride's end. She remembered a short video they were required to watch, though she didn't recall that it included any caveats about peril. She said the ride's operators sent them down the slide even though their combined weight was 393 pounds shy of the 400 weight minimum the park advertises as a requirement. Feb. 24, 2019. This Nov. 2013 file photo shows Schlitterbahn's Verruckt speed slide/water coaster in Kansas City. Ms Craig said that during her first trip down the ride with her son and one of his friends, her shoulder restraint came off, something she opted not to report to park workers. His distraught little brother reportedly told Schlitterbahn WaterPark workers: I just saw my little brother die because of one of your attractions.. UPDATE: According to The Washington Post, Schlitterbahn Waterpark and former director of operations, Tyler Austin Miles, have been charged with involuntary manslaughter and several counts of aggravated battery, aggravated endangering a child, and interference with law enforcement in connection to the death of Caleb Schwab involving the water coaster, Verrckt. Castaneda said he had ridden the slide earlier in the day with his cousin's 14-year-old daughter. It was at that point that he noticed the boy appeared to have been decapitated. This is likely where Caleb had been sitting. A memorial service is planned for Friday afternoon. The park's spokeswoman didn't return messages Tuesday from The Associated Press seeking comment on the claims. "Before they took off I said, 'Brothers stick together' and [Caleb] said, 'I know, dad,'" Scott said. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Today is the fifth anniversary of the traumatic death. Getty/Files. Criminal indictments came in 2018. Market data provided by Factset. Did he enjoy extreme rides? The person . By Cox Media Group National Content Desk August 10, 2016 at 11:32 am CDT. We are good at sending thoughts and prayers, Truesdell quipped. 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. Boy dies on 'world's biggest waterslide' at Kansas park Water slide death: 10-year-old Caleb Schwab is in heaven drinking chocolate milk, says friend An investigation has been launched into. Henry and Schooley were ultimately indicted on charges of aggravated battery, aggravated endangerment of a child, interference with law enforcement, and involuntary manslaughter. Police said the death appeared to be an accident . I wouldn't be surprised if they lack regulations on safety harnesses as well. The Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City. The water park passed a private inspection in June that included Verruckt, according to a document released by a Kansas state agency. Criminal charges brought against him and others in connection with a fatal accident on the slide were dismissed on Friday. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Legal Statement. Rafts barreling down the slide allegedly reached speeds of up to 70 mph. Details surrounding the death remain. Multiple injuries were reported before his incident. 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. And according to state law, they didnt need those credentials to deem their own ride safeunlike in the neighboring state of Missouri, water parks in Kansas do not require inspections by a state agency. Kansas House Speaker Ray Merrick sent an email on Sunday to other members of the state legislature asking for their prayers for the Schwabs. They're not technically really to hold you in.. He would have fallen down without the raft.". The world's tallest water slide turned deadly on Sunday after a Kansas state lawmaker's son was killed on the attraction. 90 Day Fiance's Hamza's Green Card Status 'Battle' Amid Memphis Divorce, '90 Day Fiance' Star Memphis Smith Alleges Hamza Moknii Was 'Abusive', 90 Day's Hamza Requested Paternity Test for Daughter Amid Memphis Split, Dont Be Tardys Kim Zolciak Is 'Heartbroken' Over House Foreclosure, Inside 90 Day Fiance's Tiffany and Dan's Split 'on Good Terms', Are MAFS Stars Chris and Paige Still Together? Caleb's parents, Scott and Michelle Schwab, said in a 2017 interview on Good Morning America that they had taken their four sons to the water park, and that Caleb and his then 12-year-old brother, Nathan, both went to the top of the 170-foot slide. The park was closed down after the incident Sunday and remained closed Monday. It was at that point that he noticed the boy appeared to have been decapitated. -- 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. Police confirmed to PEOPLE that he had been decapitated. Also indicted were Henry & Sons Construction Company and KC Waterpark Management, both affiliates of Schlitterbahn. Tragic child Caleb Schwab, 10, was the son of state Rep. Scott Schwab. Nathan Truesdell, a filmmaker from nearby Missouri, heard about the devastating incident on the news. 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