A ten-year-old boy lost his life in a horrific accident on what was once the world's tallest water slide, an incident that exposed critical failures in design and safety oversight.
A Day of Tragedy at Schlitterbahn
On a day out at the Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City in 2016, Caleb Schwab, aged 10, boarded the Verruckt slide with no idea of the impending catastrophe. The German-named ride, meaning "insane," featured multi-person rafts that plunged down a 168-foot drop at speeds up to 70mph.
During the ascent of the ride's second hill, the raft carrying Caleb and two women became airborne. Caleb, seated at the front, struck a metal support beam within the safety netting, resulting in his decapitation. He died instantly, merely two years after the attraction's grand opening.
"Six went to the park and five came back," his father, politician Scott Schwab, said heartbreakingly. Scott had told Caleb and his 12-year-old brother Nathan to "stick together" just before they ascended the 170-foot slide.
Design Flaws and a Lack of Oversight
The subsequent investigation uncovered a litany of alarming issues. The ride's netting, intended as a safety feature, was itself identified as a hazard, with engineers warning a high-speed impact could easily sever a limb.
More damning was the revelation about the slide's designers. Jeff Henry, who was instrumental in the slide's creation despite having no formal engineering qualifications, was described as stubbornly obsessed with breaking records. Co-designer John Schooley also lacked the technical expertise for such a project.
A grand jury indictment in March 2018 alleged the park was negligent, hid design defects, and minimised earlier injuries. It also stated standard engineering procedures were never properly conducted.
The weight distribution in Caleb's raft was also a factor. Caleb weighed 34kg, while the two women weighed 125kg and 89kg, creating an uneven load. The total weight of 248kg was curiously just below the ride's recommended minimum of 250kg.
Aftermath and Legacy
Following the tragedy, Scott Schwab addressed lawmakers, pushing for legislative change to end the system that allowed Schlitterbahn to conduct its own safety inspections. By November 2016, the park confirmed Verruckt would be dismantled.
In early 2017, the Schwab family reached settlements totalling around $20 million with multiple parties, including Schlitterbahn. Criminal charges against the park and its former director of operations were filed, though charges against Henry and Schooley were later dismissed due to inadmissible evidence presented to the grand jury.
Today, the family strives to rebuild while honouring Caleb's memory. "There are times where you're just like, 'I can't look at this,'" Scott admitted about old videos, "and there are other times when you can't sleep and you want to look at it." His mother Michelle spoke of missing his hugs and watching him play football.
The Schlitterbahn park remains open under new management, but the legacy of Verruckt endures as a stark warning about the dire consequences of prioritising thrill over fundamental safety.
