A 17-story-high water slide in Kansas City, which is billed as the world’s tallest, is going to be torn down after a 10-year-old rider was killed in August.
The ride – called Verrückt, the German word for insane — has been closed since Caleb Thomas Schwab’s death.
“Once the investigation is concluded and we are given permission by the court, Verrückt will be decommissioned – closed permanently and the slide removed from the tower,” Schlitterbahn Waterparks and Resorts said in a statement Tuesday. “In our opinion, it is the only proper course of action following this tragedy.”
Caleb suffered a “fatal neck injury,” police told The Kansas City Star. His death shocked his community, and at his school he “was known to ask deep questions, enjoy modern Christian music and be pretty good at telling a joke.” Two women were injured at the same time.
“Attorneys for Schwab family — Caleb’s father is Republican state Rep. Scott Schwab — and the women are independently investigating the accident,” according to The Associated Press. “No charges or lawsuits have been filed as of Tuesday.”
The 168-foot-tall slide opened to the public with much fanfare in 2014, though “design problems repeatedly pushed back the launch,” as NPR reported. When it opened, it unseated a Brazilian slide as the world’s tallest.
“[T]he slide launches people on a large raft that organizers say will reach speeds topping 60 mph before it comes to rest after completing an initial large drop that’s followed by a second rise and fall,” The Two-Way wrote when the slide opened.
Kansas “is known for its light regulation of amusement park rides,” according to the AP, which noted that all of the water park’s rides “passed private inspections in June.”
Schlitterbahn said that its entire team is “heartbroken” over Caleb’s death. “We continue to fully cooperate with investigative teams and work with the families, their attorneys and our staff impacted by this accident,” it added.
People from across the country are looking for ways to help families of the 10 people killed at a King Soopers in Boulder on March 22.
We've compiled a list of area groups that are collecting contributions in the aftermath of the shooting.
In July, we published this statement in recognition of the work we needed to begin at CPR to confront issues of diversity, equity and inclusion in our newsroom and organization as a whole.
We know this work is urgent, and we are dedicated to doing it thoroughly and connecting it with our vision and mission to reach all and serve everyone in Colorado.
Here is an update on our progress over the last eight months.
It takes a good day’s drive to cover Colorado, but we’ll help you do it in a few minutes each morning. The Lookout daily email brings you a closer look at the issues that affect you with a rundown of important fact-based reporting — with a side of Colorado flavor.