The Tragic Slide Incident: A Heartbreaking Day at Schlitterbahn and the Hunt for Justice…
After the murder charges were dismissed, $20 million was given to the family of a young man who was found with his head severed by the water.
In 2016, then-10-year-old Caleb Schwab was killed in a horrific incident at the Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City.
Thanks to the park, the family enjoyed free admission to the park on Elected Officials Day which is best known for its GOP involvement in the Kansas House of Representatives.
When they arrived, Caleb and his 12-year-old brother immediately headed for the ride because they were so eager to go.
But what they didn’t expect was the sad conclusion that the day with the family would bring.
Nathan jumped up first, followed by Caleb and his two sisters, and the two brothers were separated from each other.
After a comprehensive investigation, it was determined that Caleb’s raft had become “airborne®”, forcing him to crash into a net above the slope. The youth was killed instantly as the impact severed his head.
When staff rushed to help Caleb, his body was floating at the bottom of the pool slide.
Staff immediately called 911 and blocked off the area to prevent other park visitors from witnessing the horrifying scene.
According to Michele Schwab, Caleb’s mother, “There was one gentleman who wouldn’t let me get close enough to see what was going on and just kept saying, ‘Trust me, you don’t want to go any further.’ he shouldn’t have watched and probably didn’t want to.
The owner of Schlitterbahn was originally indicted by a grand jury for second-degree murder.
John Schooley, Architect, Jeff Henry, and Henry & Sons Construction Co.
However, the court later dropped the charges.
DEADLY RIDE: Aerial footage shows crews disassembling Schlitterbahn’s Verruckt water slide in Kansas City, Kansas, where 10-year-old Caleb Schwab was killed in August 2016; the ride was promoted as the world’s tallest water slide when it opened in 2013. https://t.co/7zI5sNiEZq pic.twitter.com/CmndCNmXY1
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) October 30, 2018
Scott Schwab, Calbe’s father, expressed his inability to understand the paper and even turned to a bystander to confirm it.
“I just need to hear you say – is my son dead?” and he just shook his head,” Scott Schwab said. “I need to hear from you… is my son dead? And he said, ‘Yes, your son is dead,’ he told the newspaper.
After a lengthy legal battle, his family received nearly $20 million in settlements from the companies involved, according to court documents.
The Kansas City Star reported that SVV 1 and KC Water Park will pay $14 million, while two other parties will contribute undisclosed sums to the family to settle the lawsuit filed against them.
While the names of the companies and the amounts initially remained undisclosed, a motion was filed stating that the amounts paid by each defendant should be released to ensure that those responsible for Caleb’s death are held accountable for their actions.
In a statement provided to NBC News, Schlitterbahn spokeswoman Winter Prosapio said, “The Schwab family and all those affected by the accident will forever be in our thoughts and prayers, and our deepest condolences to the family.”
She continued. “We are grateful to have reached an agreement with all parties. We will remove the ride from our park in Kansas City once the court approves it, which we have yet to obtain.”
Since the accident, the ride in question, called Verrückt, which means “crazy®” or “crazy” in German, has remained closed, although the water park planned to reopen it.
According to the outlet, the ride featured a three-person raft that plunged 17 stories at 70 mph, then rocketed back uphill and fell 50 feet into a pool.
Schlitterbahn Water Parks and Resorts said in a statement: “All of us at Schlitterbahn are heartbroken by the tragedy that occurred at Verruckt.”
At the time, the park also issued a statement addressing the incident, calling it
“devastating
“In 50 years of providing a gathering environment for families and friends, we have never experienced this kind of devastating event. The safety of our employees and our guests is our highest priority. We are parents and grandparents ourselves and many of us Verruckt have ridden with our own children and grandchildren over the years it has operated. At Schlitterbahn, we take safety very seriously. We support effective guidelines that enhance the safety of guests and staff.
The statement continued: “We hope that, following full cooperation with all investigation teams for all parties involved, if further measures are identified that could increase the safety of future theme and water park rides, industry and government will work together to find an effective solution.”
The park also stressed that “safety” has always been at the forefront of their work.
“Security is and always has been our top priority. We continue to review our security practices and, as we do every year, use an external third party to confirm that we have and continue to have best-in-class security protocols on each of them.” from our parks.”
A few years have passed and the family is still grieving the loss of their little boy.
The Schwab family’s grief was shared by the entire community, and the incident sparked discussions about theme park safety. Schlitterbahn emphasized that safety has always been their top priority and is committed to reviewing and improving their safety procedures. They hoped that industry and government cooperation would lead to more effective safety measures for attractions and water parks.
As the years passed, the Schwab family continued to mourn the loss of their beloved Caleb. Their story serves as a poignant reminder of the fragility of life and the need for strict safety measures in all recreational activities. Rest in peace, Caleb Schwab, a young boy whose life was tragically cut short, leaving a void in the hearts of those who loved him.
Rest in peace, Caleb.