"We held each other and had a little emotional meltdown once we moved away from the immediate area," she says. Many questions are, for now, left unanswered. He said there were two women sitting in the back of the raft with blood on them. No one had ever done anything like this before. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! — -- A 10-year-old boy who died on a water slide in Kansas City, Kansas, suffered a fatal neck injury, officials said, as a witness recounted the "horrific scene" and the "panic" that erupted in the wake of the incident last Sunday. The slide, known as Verrckt, which is German for crazy or insane, opened in 2014 and was marketed as the tallest waterslide in the world. Although they had built rides before, neither Henry nor Schooley had a background in mechanical engineering. When the Verrckt slide opened in 2014, it was billed as "the world's tallest water slide.". In his ruling, the judge, Robert Burns of Wyandotte County, wrote that there was illegal evidence that should not have been presented to the grand jury and called into question videos and expert testimony presented to jurors. So they rode it again, only to see the restraint on her son's friend also come loose by the time it was over. According to the lawsuit, Verrckts design violated nearly all aspects of longstanding industry safety standards.. (David Strickland via AP). 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 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. 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 . Marshals said. ", But how can a ride this extreme be safe for anyone? KANSAS CITY, Mo. Still, if other recent tragedies are any indication, some people will undoubtedly judge his parents for allowing Caleb to ride this attraction. Multiple injuries were reported before his incident. The slide is 168-feet tall and has 264 stairs leading to the top -- taller than the Statue of Liberty. Video: Murder charges are dismissed against owner of Kansas water park where 10-year-old boy was decapitated on 17-story slide GoPro footage shows the Schlitterbahn waterslide Verrckt that. All Rights Reserved. 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. Kansas City, Kansas, police say a 10-year-old boy who was killed while riding the world's tallest water slide died of a neck injury. Celebrities Who Have Proudly Posted Naked Photos, MAFS Season 15 Star Lindy Announces Divorce From Miguel: Split Details, 'OutDaughtered' Star Danielle Busby's Transformation From Wife to Mom, What Your Favorite Celebs Are Doing This Week, Indio Downey Releases Life-Affirming Music Video for 'September', Jordyn Woods Reflects on How Pressures of Fame, Scrutiny Affect Her, Jordyn Woods on Her Future With BF Karl-Anthony Towns: Special Person, Inside the Gabby Petito Case: From Disappearance to Homicide to Lawsuit, Sister Wives Kody, Robyn Were With a Mystery Blonde: Identity Revealed, Megan Fox and MGK's Relationship Is 'Toxic': 'There Is Concern for Her', Farrah Abraham Slams Mom-Shamers Over Daughter Sophias Piercings. The two women riding in the raft with Caleb suffered minor facial injuries. The slide's name means "insane" in German. ABC's Elizabeth Hur has the latest on a pair of amusement park accidents. Water Slide Death | Women in Raft With Victim Speak Out ABC News 14.1M subscribers Subscribe 1.7M views 6 years ago Hannah Barnes and Matraca Baetz both suffered facial injuries during the. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The ride was designed at the park, led by John Schooley with assistance from park co-owner Jeff Henry. The Verrckt German for "crazy" or "insane" had been named the world's tallest waterslide by Guinness World Records. 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. As his raft soared over the crest, Caleb was tossed toward the netting. Speaking anonymously, a source close to the inquiry confirmed the boy was decapitated. The video, though, is a fictional and dramatized version of events created for entertainment purposes, he wrote, concluding that it should not have been allowed as evidence. 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 lot of our math was based on roller coasters at first, and that didn't translate to a water slide like this. How Much Money Do Survivor Contestants Get Paid? Castaneda said he had ridden the slide earlier in the day with his cousin's 14-year-old daughter. 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 . Castaneda said that he heard booms coming from the area of the slide and then saw a body wash down the slide directly after the raft did. ABC News talked with Esteban Castaneda, who witnessed the incident at the water park. She had told him that her safety belt's Velcro came undone toward the end of her ride. other recent tragedies are any indication. Castaneda said he had ridden the slide earlier in the day with his cousin's 14-year-old daughter. According to the police report, Caleb Schwab died of a neck injury and was decapitated while riding the 168-foot Verruckt water slide. The Nebraska man said he "just held on," and a video shot by his wife shows the strap loose at the ride's end. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? They were sending sandbags down and basically hoping that they didn't fly off of the slide. A 12-year-old boy died Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016, on the Kansas water slide that is billed as the world's largest, according to officials. We dont know what the future holds, but hope that with a fresh look at the evidence and law, the parties can find a way to put this matter behind them., Tricia Bath, a lawyer for Mr. 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. 90 Day Fiance Stars Weve Lost Over the Years, Still Together? Police said the death appeared to be an accident . Caleb Schwab died Sunday on a slide at the . North Dakota news site MyNDNow.com reports the boy's parents were with him at the park that day. Nathan went down the slide first and waited for Caleb at the bottom. Feb. 24, 2019. Ultimately, he decided that the defense lawyers arguments of grand jury abuse were credible. It's unclear whether the straps on "Verruckt" - German for "insane" - played any role in the death of Caleb Schwab, a Kansas lawmaker's son. "I didn't think much about it," she said. He rode the newly opened ride that day during an event at the waterpark for the families of elected officials, which included his father, former Kansas lawmaker Scott Schwab, who is now the Kansas secretary of state. Caleb Schwab died six years ago in the tragedy at Schlitterbahn Park, in Kansas, on a water slide called Verruckt, which means crazy in German. 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. The two women riding in the raft with Caleb suffered minor facial injuries. Castaneda said that he heard booms coming from the area of the slide, and then saw a body wash down the slide directly after the raft did. All Rights "No words can express the pain we all feel for this terrible tragedy. In a rush to build the world's tallest water slide, the operators of a Kansas park glossed over their own findings that the nearly 170-foot-tall ride had major design flaws, skirted basic . However, once the boys made it to the rafts, the operator informed the pair that they would not be Continue reading Brother Of Boy Decapitated On Kansas . The rafts sometimes lifted from the chute momentarily, and the slide was covered with netting, supported by metal poles, so riders would not fall off. 'I'm not supposed to be here': Penn doc on mission to find treatments, PennDOT worker remains seriously injured after hit-and-run. have been charged with second-degree murder and face charges of aggravated endangerment of a child and aggravated battery. 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. Pastor Clint Sprague, the family spokesperson for the Schwab family said they're heartbroken. WARNING: The details in this story are graphic and may not be suitable for all readers. . A company spokeswoman said in a statement that Schlitterbahn's owners embraced the judge's decision, according to the Times. Riders plummeted down the nearly vertical 17-story chutetaller than Niagara Fallsat speeds up to 70 miles per hour. The video was intended to show that the defendants had exhibited a reckless attitude toward the construction of the slide, Judge Burns wrote. But once I took a closer look, I started to realize how complicated this story really was, and how this could have happened to anyone who went down that slide.. The slide is also inspected daily. Judge Dismisses Charges in Boys Decapitation on 170-Foot-Tall Water Slide, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/24/us/water-slide-death-charges.html. 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." The pair had hoped to ride the "World's Largest Waterslide" together. They were not related to the boy. 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. Follow her on Twitter (@Spitupnsuburbs), where she chronicles her love of exercising and drinking coffee, but never simultaneously. The slide is 168 feet tall and has 264 stairs leading to the top - taller than the Statue of Liberty. WARNING: The details in this story are graphic and may not be suitable for all readers. Jon Rust, a professor of textile engineering at North Carolina State University, said the material used on the straps, commonly called hook and loop, isn't designed to keep a person in the seat. 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