Harrowing case of 'world's tallest waterslide' that decapitated 10-year-old boy
Fun turned into horror for one family in Kansas City when a 10-year-old boy was decapitated while riding the 'world's tallest waterslide'.
The horrific incident unfolded in 2016, when Caleb Schwab visited the Schlitterbahn Waterpark with his father, state legislator Scott Schwab; his mother, Michele Schwab; and his three brothers.
While there, Caleb decided to take on the 170-foot-tall Verruckt water slide - the name of which translates to 'crazy' in English.
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The slide was touted as the 'world's tallest' when it opened in 2014, and required riders to climb 264 steps to the top.
Its towering height made the slide taller than the Niagara Falls, and once at the top riders would sit in a raft which plummeted 17 storeys downwards before shooting over a 55-foot-tall crest, sometimes lifting off the base of the slide in the process.
To prevent riders from falling off the slide, the chute was was covered with netting which was supported by metal poles.
Caleb was with two other riders when he climbed into one of the rafts and prepared to go down the slide, and the ride initially went like all the others.
However, the speed and motion meant Caleb was thrown towards the netting, where he made contact with one of the metal poles and was decapitated.
One of Caleb's brothers was waiting for him at the bottom of the slide, but when his lifeless body slid into the pool, everyone began to scream.
One person who witnessed the horrific event told Texas Monthly: “It was as horrible a moment as you could imagine. A nightmare beyond comprehension. I can’t begin to describe it.”
Following Caleb's death, a grand jury filed charges of second-degree murder against Schlitterbahn co-owner Jeff Henry and senior designer John Schooley, but the charges were dismissed.
In 2017, Caleb's family settled the case for nearly $20m from Schlitterbahn and other companies involved.
Verruckt was closed in the wake of the incident, and the Kansas City park followed suit in September 2018.
Schlitterbahn released a statement at the time of Caleb's death to say it had 'never experienced this kind of devastating event' in its 50 years of operation.
"The safety of our staff and our guests is our top priority," the park said, per ABC News.
"We are parents and grandparents ourselves, and many of us had ridden Verruckt with our own children and grandchildren over the years it operated.
"At Schlitterbahn, we take safety very seriously. We support effective guidelines that increase guest and staff safety."
Emily Brown