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." I wouldn't be surprised if they lack regulations on safety harnesses as well. Market data provided by Factset. A memorial service will be held Friday afternoon, Sprague said. Still, if other recent tragedies are any indication, some people will undoubtedly judge his parents for allowing Caleb to ride this attraction. Last year Caleb's family was awarded nearly $20 million in settlement payments from two companies associated with Texas-based Schlitterbahn, along with the ride's general contractor, the raft manufacturer and a consultant on the slide, reports The Kansas City Star. 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. Riders, who must be at least 54 inches tall, were harnessed with two nylon seatbelt-like straps one that crossed the rider's lap, the other stretching diagonally like a car shoulder seatbelt. North Dakota news site MyNDNow.com reports the boy's parents were with him at the park that day. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. The netting that ultimately ended up killing the child was added to prevent the rafts from flying off of the slide completely., In the film, Schooley speaks to a reporter after having tested the ride himself. Riders go down the slide in multi-person rafts and have to be at last 54 inches tall, according to the park's website. Many questions are, for now, left unanswered. Caleb Thomas Schwab, the son of Kansas state Rep. Scott Schwab, was killed Sunday while riding "Verruckt" at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City. 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. Winter Prosapio, a spokeswoman for Schlitterbahn, said the company welcomed the decision. Henry faced a charge of second-degree murder. Kansascity.com reported last year that the Schwab family has received a $20 million settlement from the companies involved in Calebs death. We won't post to any of your accounts without asking first. (David Strickland via AP). Getty/Files. The water park is now closed, and the slide has been demolished. July 13 (UPI) --A judge has ruled a Kansas waterslide billed as the world's largest, where a boy was killed in 2016, will be demolished this summer.The 17-story Verruckt slide at Schlitterbahn . It turns out at first, it definitely wasn't. On Monday, Jeffrey Henry, 62, co-owner of Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City, was arrested on charges of second-degree murder, aggravated battery and aggravated child endangerment stemming from the Aug. 7, 2016, death of Caleb Schwab on Verruckt. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. He described a horrific scene after the boy's death. Castaneda said he had ridden the slide earlier in the day with his cousin's 14-year-old daughter. They said all rides are inspected daily before opening. But riders sometimes struck the netting or the poles, and some injuries had already occurred when, in August 2016, Caleb Schwab, 10, got into a raft with two other riders. He described a horrific scene after the boy's death. Lawyers for the other defendants either could not be reached on Saturday or did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Authorities in Kansas were trying to determine Tuesday how a 10-year-old boy suffered a fatal neck injury while riding what is billed as the world's tallest water slide. A company spokeswoman said in a statement that Schlitterbahn's owners embraced the judge's decision, according to the Times. 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Reserved. Caleb Schwab died Sunday on a slide at the . Paul Oberhauser told local television station KCTV his shoulder restraint "busted loose" on his Verruckt raft July 26. "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. . A video showed Caleb was following all rider instructions when he died. KANSAS CITY, Kan. 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. Anyone can read what you share. "It's got to be used in a safe manner, and that doesn't include stopping someone's fall or preventing someone's ejection," Rust said. August 9, 2016 5:21 PM EDT. 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. Castaneda said he had ridden the slide earlier in the day with his cousin's 14-year-old daughter. 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 / AP) KANSAS . "You don't think you're gonna die.". An investigation has been launched into how the incident occurred on the "Verruckt" raft ride at the Kansas City attraction. The other two were treated for facial injuries. Judge Burns also wrote that the jurors heard expert testimony that suggested, incorrectly, that the slides designers did not adhere to legal standards, and that the expert mentioned another, unrelated death at the Schlitterbahn park in Texas. ABC7 New York 24/7 Eyewitness News Stream, was killed Sunday while riding "Verruckt" at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City. All Rights Reserved. Caleb Schwab, 10, died in front of his family while riding a 168ft-high water slide in Kansas at Schlitterbahn Water Park. At 169 feet tall, Verrckt was the tallest waterslide in the world. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. I know I will. 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. When Conrad herself rode the slide, she expressed safety concerns about the straps to a water park lifeguard. Despite the tragedy, visitor numbers were around average three days after, a spokesperson said on Wednesday. A Kansas water park plans to tear down a giant water slide on which a 10-year-old boy died in 2016. The Velcro straps are just to make you feel safer. 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. His distraught little brother reportedly told Schlitterbahn WaterPark workers: I just saw my little brother die because of one of your attractions.. See Which Celebrities Announced Pregnancies in 2023 So Far, See Teen Mom OG Alum Mackenzie Edwards Style Transformation: Photos. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, The horrific events incident happened onthe 'Verruckt'ride and the boy's brother saw it, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. Past close calls reported after boy dies on waterslide Family took photos of friend's snapped harness; Details on 'Fox & Friends' Several passengers who rode the waterslide where a 10-year-old. The Kansas City Star reports an attorney representing an affiliate of Kansas City, Kansas, park . The Verrckt slide in Kansas is billed as the world's tallest water slide. The slide's name means "insane" in German. A witness named Kelsey Friedrichsen recalls, "It looked like he must have somehow been ejected from his seat, bounced around between the netting and the slide and just slid down. Riders plummeted down the nearly vertical 17-story chutetaller than Niagara Fallsat speeds up to 70 miles per hour. "It's an accident, but there is an accounting because someone was negligent," Caleb's father said on GMA. Riders sit in multi-person rafts that begin with the steep drop, followed by a surge up a second hill before a 50-foot descent to a finishing pool. Court documents also reveal that a team of experts who inspected the slide after Caleb's death found "physical evidence that indicated that other rafts had gone airborne and collided with the. Following the unspeakable accident, the park immediately shut down. "We are obviously disappointed and respectfully disagree with the court's decision," Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said in a statement. It was at that point that he noticed the boy appeared to have been decapitated. 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. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Please note that this form cannot be used to reset your Google or Facebook password. Witnesses describe moment they realised boy had died on the waterslide, Boy dies on 'world's biggest waterslide' at Kansas park, Caleb Thomas Schwab posing with his father Scott Schwab, a Kansas state lawmaker, Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in, Water slide death: 10-year-old boy 'was decapitated' after falling from Kansas ride, Kansas waterslide death: Two women also injured in accident that killed 10-year-old boy, Water slide death: 10-year-old Caleb Schwab is in heaven drinking chocolate milk, says friend, Read more Family of two-year-old boy killed by alligator ask for privacy, 'Trail of blood' followed boy decapitated on water slide, Extra 20% off selected fashion and sportswear at Very, Up to 20% off and extra perks with Booking.com Genius membership, $6 off a $50+ order with this AliExpress discount code, 15% off selected items using this eBay discount code, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK February 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this February, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. 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