"He would have fallen down without the raft. I can't even imagine what it feels like for everyone involved, such a tragedy! On November 13, 2012, he was at a trade show when he was approached by producers from the Travel Channel who were working on a new show that looked at some of the most incredible water parks and water attractions in the world. Here's a look at water parks, their safety and statistics: About 1,300 water parks operated in North America a year ago, up about 30 percent from a decade ago, according to the trade group World Waterpark Association. Once the forty-six-year-old Groves gave his incident report, Miles allegedly destroyed the witness statements and forced the lifeguards to write coached statements which omitted any detail of how the injury had occurred, telling the medical staff to alter their own reports. Kansas state Rep. Scott Schwab, father of Caleb Schwab, in his Statehouse office in Topeka, Kansas on October 4, 2018. Two media sneak preview days in 2014 were cancelled because of problems with a conveyor system that hauls 100-pound rafts to the top of the slide. ] He followed up that same day: I have to micro manage this. Soon, Derek MacKay, an attorney representing Schlitterbahn, allegedly showed up to the lifeguards home and would later lie to both the lifeguards mother and the detective in an attempt to get a copy of the police report. 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. Seems rather odd for something like this, especially if that is what contributed to this? In March 2018, a forty-seven-page indictment from a grand jury in Wyandotte County revealed, among other things, whistle-blower evidence of how Schlitterbahn officials allegedly covered up other safety-related incidents on Verrckt, and concluded that the slides lack of safety standards posed a substantial and unjustifiable risk of death or severe bodily harm. While it isnt unique for amusement parks to get sued for isolated incidents, the magnitude of the Schwab tragedy, and Schlitterbahns decorated profile, made the grand jurys findings of the water parks negligence that much more damning. I can't even imagine the sheer terror for everyone involved. (Brownback, now the U.S. ambassador for International Religious Freedom, declined to be interviewed.) I stared at the white waterslide once described by Henry as an erotic piece of artits curves and drops were as grand and ambitious as advertised. Riders sit in a three-person raft and are secured with straps across the waist and shoulders, like a seat belt. WARNING: The details in this story are graphic and may not be suitable for all readers. Visitors flocked to Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City, Kansas, to experience its thrill. Is that one of the ride boats to the right? The ride was simply too fast. Her case was also settled, according to her lawyer. ''I'm really having a tough time with it. When Raul Dueas returned to Schlitterbahn for the first time since moving back to Kansas City from California, he thought Verrckt was too high. 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. He added: Schlitterbahn was basically hanging their hat on the Disney languageWe are so big that we can self-inspect.The initial financial boon promised by the Texas water parks arrival failed to be fully realized. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and others involved, and I hope that they can prevent this from happening again. Local media has since revealed the water slide involved in the incident had not been inspected by the state since it opened two years ago. In a January 25, 2019 court hearing, an attorney representing Henry & Sons Construction, Schlitterbahn's general contracting affiliate, argued that the evidence shown to the grand jurors was flimsy and inadmissable because it included clips from a scripted show highlighting the construction of the waterslide, the Kansas City Star reported. We literally worked around the clock.. One report says that it used to have an age restriction of 14when the ride openedat Schlitterbahn in 2014. Scott Schwab is a Republican from Olathe. How safe is your neighborhood? Neither were related to Schwab, but his parents were with him at the park that day. Either way, it's tragic. I am also intrigued if this was a ride malfunction or a lack of obeying the park rules. Seemingly from the jump, Verrckt was built in haste, with Henry pushing the timetable. There were also suggestions that the harness on the raft was not working correctly. Witnesses have described the horrific scene as the 'worst day in my life'. Time, is of the essence. 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. Many lawmakers were at Schlitterbahn for Elected Official Day. Such rides, according to the statute, commonly are known as Ferris wheels, carousels, parachute towers, bungee jumps and roller coasters. This is terrible. Schlitterbahn is open through Labor . You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. 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. She then saw Caleb's body on the ground and his family standing nearby crying. 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. Riders go down the worlds tallest water slide named Verruckt at Schlitterbahn Waterpark, in Kansas City, Kansas on July 9, 2014. Instead, Prosapio offered a statement.The Verrckt accident was a terrible and tragic event and we cannot imagine the suffering that the victims and their families have endured, Prosapio said in an email. All of the regulations are really done at the state and local level with respect to amusement parks and waterparks. She filed a lawsuit in Wyandotte County District Court. 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 . He and his wife, Michele, have four sons, Sprague said. The ride used to have a minimum age restriction of 14. Note: Details on Schwab's death may be disturbing to some. One is a line from John 3:16. Published: 01:53 GMT, 9 August 2016 | Updated: 16:37 GMT, 9 August 2016. They included a single count of involuntary manslaughter over the death of Caleb Schwab in 2016. 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. Seeing that, her fianc wrapped his ankles around her, and Egan anxiously held on to his legs. Updated on: August 9, 2016 / 7:35 AM / CBS News . 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. I've seen retweets of her post with comments about his head becoming caught up in the netting. The trust said that if the company defaults on its Kansas City mortgage, then the loan would either be restructured or EPR could even foreclose on Schlitterbahns collateral that got the loan in the first place. Caleb's heartbroken family were seen crying at the waterpark on Sunday (pictured left is a file image of the boy's father Rep Scott Schwab atthe Statehouse in Topeka, Kansas in 2015) Pictured right is the Verruckt safety board at the park, In an email Monday, Winter Prosapio, spokeswoman for Schlitterbahn, said the park would not be 'participating in any further media interviews at this time.' 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. In September 2005, the company announced plans for a park in Kansas City, Kansasits first water park outside the Lone Star State and the fourth of five current facilitieswith grandiose visions of building the kind of towering resort with hotels, cabins, and tree houses that would take Schlitterbahn to the next level. His first book, BARKLEY, is due out in 2022 for Hanover Square Press. Steve Castaneda said Caleb Schwab, 10, was riding in the front of the raft on Schlitterbahn Water Park's Verruckt Slide when he fell out. Today, August 7, is the fifth anniversary of his horrific death in August 2016. Scott Schwabwho was elected Kansass Secretary of Statedeclined to be interviewed. Today Verrckt, the one-time eyesore on Interstate 435 and, ultimately, a sad symbol of hubris, hardship, and a horrific tragedy that could have been avoided, is gone. You mention his name and the kids say, I know who Caleb is, Kurt Dunn, coach of the Mudcats, told Esquire, adding that the organization retired Calebs No. The other is James 4:14. The former operations director for Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City, Kansas, and the water park itself have been charged with manslaughter in the 2016 death of a 10-year-old boy on a water slide. The park was hit with fines of $96,000 although they settled for $66,000. Nothing in confirmed yet. Schlitterbahn is an important tourist attraction in our community, and we hope it remains open and a success, Taylor told Esquire. The Fire Department, of course, is here. I saw my friends face kind of drop, and thats when I saw it, Sanford said. I like to think theyre pals up there.. Kelsey Friedrichsen, a witness who was at the park at the time of the accident, told People; The Verruckt (which is German for "insane") water slide was promoted as the tallest water slide in the world when it opened in June. 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. If we actually knew how to do this, and it could be done that easily, it wouldnt be that spectacular, Schooley said at the time, according to the indictment. About 2,100 people took the courses last year, according to the Red Cross. I have been very intimidated of this ride since I saw that video of the tests where the boats were flying to the moon. You could tell where people hit it. 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 . But officers are conducting a death investigation at the park. I said, Its a speed blaster. Well, it didnt exist. As soon as his raft hit that first drop, the velocity of the fall caused Dueass strap to come flying off. The 10-year-old son of a Kansas state lawmaker was decapitated Sunday in an accident on the world's tallest water slide at Schlitterbahn, a Kansas City waterpark, witnesses say. 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. The 2014 opening of Verruckt was delayed a few times, though the operators did not explain why. http://fox4kc.com/on-air/live-streaming-sc/. Are you a high school dropout? The big slide there - Verruckt, or German for "insane" - has been closed since Caleb died. THE10-year-old son of a Kansas lawmaker was decapitated while riding on one of the world's tallest waterslides, horrified witnesses have said. Kansas City Police confirmed the boy had died froma 'fatal neck injury at the end of the ride, in the pool'. In October, two other maintenance workers, David Hughes and John Zalsman, were found not guilty of lying to obstruct the investigation into Schwabs death. TOPEKA, Kansas -- A water park company's co-owner was arrested Monday in Texas in connection with a Kansas criminal case arising from a 10-year-old boy's death on what was promoted as the world's largest waterslide. According to People . Local officials, media, and even Kansas governor Sam Brownback came to take part in the first rides. 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 tragedy happened on day the park offered lawmakers and other elected officials a buffet lunch, hot dogs and hamburgers. Schlitterbahn was sued by Linda Stomboly in March 2014. Henry entered a not guilty plea and rarely spoke during the hearing. "We don't have any news so far about our Kansas City park at the time," Prosapio told the Kansas City Star. Photo: David Strickland via AP. By His case was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum. In the plans, you see a destination comprising the rides of Schlitterbahn, the culture of the San Antonio River Walk, and the lodging of Swiss Family Robinson. Riders go down the slide in multi-person rafts and have to be at last 54 inches tall, according to the park's website. 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. 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 times of fear, Sanford says she resorts to humor, which is exactly what she did with the twenty-something lifeguard who helped strap her into the raft at the top of Verrckt around noon that summer Sunday. It was announced in September 2005 by Schlitterbahn Waterparks. Because of how fast you go on that ride, it all kind of happened in a blink.. A funeral for Caleb is scheduled for Friday afternoon at Olathe's Life Mission Church, Kansas. 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Those showed more than 4,200 people a year taken to emergency rooms to be treated for scrapes, concussions, broken limbs, spinal injuries and other such injuries suffered on public waterslides. 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. Tom Sloan, a former twelve-term Republican state representative out of Lawrence who pushed for revised legislation on amusement-park safety in 1999 and 2001, saw firsthand how the money promised to the area coupled with the lacking oversight was going to make it easy for Schlitterbahn to get green-lit. Caleb Schwab, the son of a state lawmaker, sustained a fatal "neck injury" at around 2:30 p.m. while riding the 168-foot-tall "Verruckt" (meaning "insane" in German) water slide, the . That is insane. 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. Timothy Bella is a staff writer and editor for the Washington Post, focusing on national news. Henry wanted to change that. A floor a day. Mayor Hinges on Voter Rolls, Preventing a Repeat of WWII-Era Imprisonment, Fox News Told Viewers What They Wanted to Hear. (Winter Prosapio, Schlitterbahns spokesperson, declined to comment on all of the above due to pending litigation. As the testing unfolded, one common denominator was present: The rafts kept going airborne. I learned everything I know about water by looking at it, watching it, Henry told author Tim OBrien in Legends: Pioneers of the Amusement Park Industry. "Our lifeguards are critical and it will be difficult for them to focus after something like this so for that reason we felt it was wise to close the park.". 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. Margaret Studyvin, an administrative assistant with the department, said it wasn't clear when or if autopsy results would be made public. 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 told. is it more than what the article is mentioning some where else? Statement will be out at 4:30 pm central time. The indictment against Miles and the park alleges that Verruckt met few, if any, industry standards and that Miles delayed or avoided necessary repairs, even after the ride's brake system failed. In a worrying development, the waterslide has reportedly never been inspected by the state since opening two years ago. The front seat of the raft - where Schwab most likely sat - was empty. The 168ft-high Verruckt, which means "insane" in German, was certified as the world's tallest water slide by Guinness World Records. Those numbers do not include other water park injuries or those who need lifeguard assistance without a hospital trip. Three riders are weighted together on a scale, and combined must be between 400 and 550 lbs. House Speaker Ray Merrick told the Kansas City Star that Schwab's family was 'the center of his world.'. As Michele Schwab, Caleb's mother, tried to get closer to see what was going on, a gentleman stopped her. "We honestly dont know whats happened," Prosapio told the Kansas City Star. 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