The video was intended to show that the defendants had exhibited a reckless attitude toward the construction of the slide, Judge Burns wrote. It was at that point that he noticed the boy appeared to have been decapitated. 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. 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 . 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. His funeral is scheduled for Friday. Access to the Verruckt remained blocked by a 7-foot-high wooden fence. I'd urge them not to. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Numerous elected officials and their families were in the park when the tragedy happened. Castaneda said he had ridden the slide earlier in the day with his cousin's 14-year-old daughter. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! The case focused on a waterslide at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City, Kan. The water park is now closed, and the slide has been demolished. Henry and Schooley were ultimately indicted on charges of aggravated battery, aggravated endangerment of a child, interference with law enforcement, and involuntary manslaughter. I was hired as an admissions cashiertaking payment and . She had told him her safety belt's Velcro came undone toward the end of her ride. After a boy died while riding a nearly 170-foot-tall waterslide in Kansas in 2016, state attorneys brought criminal charges against operators and associates of the water park . In 2012, the Schlitterbahn co-owner Jeff Henry, together with the senior designer John Schooley, fast-tracked Verrckts construction to coincide with an appearance on a reality TV show about amusement parks. Caleb struck the protective overhead netting and the metal poles that supported it, according to court documents previously obtained by PEOPLE. See Which Celebrities Announced Pregnancies in 2023 So Far, See Teen Mom OG Alum Mackenzie Edwards Style Transformation: Photos. Castaneda said 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. Verruckt was certified as the world's tallest water slide by Guinness World Records. I remember hearing about the accident on the news and thought that the park was going to shut down. He described a horrific scene after the boy's death. According to People magazine, police have confirmed the child suffered a neck injury and was decapitated. When the Verrckt slide opened in 2014, it was billed as "the world's tallest water slide.". And according to state law, they didnt need those credentials to deem their own ride safeunlike in the neighboring state of Missouri, water parks in Kansas do not require inspections by a state agency. After a boy died while riding a nearly 170-foot-tall waterslide in Kansas in 2016, state attorneys brought criminal charges against operators and associates of the water park, accusing them of recklessness. It was at that point that he noticed the boy appeared to have been decapitated. Today is the fifth anniversary of the traumatic death. "We held each other and had a little emotional meltdown once we moved away from the immediate area," she says. 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. 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. I obviously recognize that the circumstances and events giving rise to these indictments are indisputably tragic, Judge Burns wrote. My first thought was that it must have been a freak accidentwhat a horrible, horrible story, Truesdell told me. The video here is a point-of-view shot of the Giant Verrckt Water Slide at the Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City, where the son of a state lawmaker died while plummeting down the 168-foot drop! 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. "It's an accident, but there is an accounting because someone was negligent," Caleb's father said on GMA. (David Strickland via AP). On the day of Calebs accident, the Schwab family had been visiting the water park for Elected Official Day, an annual promotion from Schlitterbahn that offered free admission to Kansas elected officials and their families. T he death of a 10-year-old Kansas boy, who was decapitated on the world's tallest water slide over the weekend, has revived calls for change in the . And although the Schlitterbahn Water Park is for families, this ride in particular is meant to attract so-called "thrill-seekers. Verruckt was certified as the world's tallest water slide by Guinness World Records. 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. 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.. Caleb Schwab, the son of a state lawmaker, sustained a fatal "neck injury" at around 2:30 p.m. while riding the 168-foot-tall "Verruckt" (meaning "insane" in German) water slide, the Associated. An attorney for ride designer Schooley, Justin Johnston, told the Times: "We don't 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.". "Before they took off I said, 'Brothers stick together' and [Caleb] said, 'I know, dad,'" Scott said. How a Freak Accident Happens. I didn't understand what was going on so I only saw Caleb sliding down the last half of the slide, and then I saw the blood. Following the unspeakable accident, the park immediately shut down. 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. 1:32 Kansas lawmaker's son dies on 'world's tallest' water slide They also were charged with 17 other felonies, including aggravated battery and aggravated endangerment of a child counts tied. He would have fallen down without the raft.". KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) The young son of a Kansas state lawmaker died Sunday on a water slide that is billed as the world's largest, according to officials and the boy's family. Riders are propelled by jets of water as they go over a hump while riding the world's tallest water slide called "Verruckt" at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in 2014. was killed Sunday while riding "Verruckt" at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City. — -- 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. Details surrounding the death remain. ABC News talked with Esteban Castaneda, who. Police ID suspect accused of stealing bus from JFK Airport, Kiss reveal last dates of their farewell tour, ending in NYC. 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. 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. Caleb Schwab was killed Sunday while zooming down the 168-ft.-tall Verruckt water slide at the Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City, police said. Riders plummeted down the nearly vertical 17-story chutetaller than Niagara Fallsat speeds up to 70 miles per hour. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. 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's too awful to even imagine, but now his parents, State Representative Scott Schwab and his wife Michele, are mourning the loss of their young son. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? It also can degrade with use. . North Dakota news site MyNDNow.com reports the boy's parents were with him at the park that day. Melissa Willets is a writer/blogger and a mom. A memorial service is planned for Friday afternoon. We agree with the courts decision that the grand jury was not given a fair picture of the evidence relating to this tragic accident, Justin Johnston, a lawyer for Mr. Schooley, said. Please note that this form cannot be used to reset your Google or Facebook password. 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It appears that Schlitterbahn Waterpark was eager to open the ride to the public despite clear signs of safety hazards. 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. Castaneda said two other woman were strapped into the raft, and the first position of the raft was empty. By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and that you have read our Privacy Policy. Are Janelle, Christine and Meri Suing Kody Over Money From Coyote Pass? 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. Kansascity.com reported last year that the Schwab family has received a $20 million settlement from the companies involved in Calebs death. 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.. Legal Statement. A memorial service will be held Friday afternoon, Sprague said. Oberhauser said he reported the matter to park workers. Caleb Thomas Schwab, the son of Kansas state Rep. Scott Schwab, was killed Sunday while riding "Verruckt" at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City. Conrad's wife snapped a photo at the end of the ride showing the strap missing, and Conrad didn't file a complaint with the park. Someone else who had ridden the Verrckt (which is named after the German word for "insane") earlier that day claims the Velcro on her seat belt came undone toward the end of the experience. -- 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. 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. 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. ", In fact, even Henry told USA Today upon riding the Verrckt, "I'm still recovering mentally. I was so happy that Schlitterbahn hired me that I didn't think anything about the tragic accident on the Verrckt water coaster the previous year. Some new details in the Caleb Schwab death are emerging with a witness giving her account of how the 10-year-old boy was killed on a water slide at Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City, Kansas on Sunday. Each strap is held in place by long Velcro-style straps, not by buckles. But on Friday a judge dismissed the charges and said prosecutors had submitted improper evidence.. The boy's father, state Rep. Scott Schwab, thanked the community for the outpouring of support his family has received. Caleb was in a raft with two adults who were not related to him when he was killed on the slide, certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the worlds tallest. The boy, Caleb Schwab, was with his family at the Schlitterbahn waterpark in Kansas City, Kansas, on Aug. 7, 2016, when the raft he was riding on the 17-story Verrckt waterslide went airborne at the crest of the drop. 90 Day Fiance's Hamza's Green Card Status 'Battle' Amid Memphis Divorce, '90 Day Fiance' Star Memphis Smith Alleges Hamza Moknii Was 'Abusive', 90 Day's Hamza Requested Paternity Test for Daughter Amid Memphis Split, Dont Be Tardys Kim Zolciak Is 'Heartbroken' Over House Foreclosure, Inside 90 Day Fiance's Tiffany and Dan's Split 'on Good Terms', Are MAFS Stars Chris and Paige Still Together? As his raft soared over the crest, Caleb was tossed toward the netting. In seeking the indictment, state attorneys showed grand jurors video footage filmed for a Travel Channel show, Xtreme Waterparks, which featured the slide in an episode. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? ABC News talked with Esteban Castaneda, who. Caleb Schwab died while riding a water slide at the Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City, police said. When Conrad herself rode the slide, she expressed safety concerns about the straps to a water park lifeguard. Along the way, riders clutch ropes along the inside of the raft. In early tests, rafts carrying sandbags flew off the slide, prompting engineers to tear down half of the ride and reconfigure some angles. We are obviously disappointed and respectfully disagree with the courts decision, the statement said, adding that prosecutors would take a fresh look at the evidence and applicable law in this tragic and troubling case to determine the best course forward.. 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