Verrückt Slide Where Christian Boy Died at Schlitterbahn Water Park to Be Demolished
The Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City announced Tuesday that the world's tallest waterslide, the Verrückt, on which Caleb Schwab, the 10-year-old son of Christian Republican Kansas state Rep. Scott Schwab died over the summer, will be demolished.
Caleb Schwab was decapitated during his ride on the slide on Aug. 7 as patrons and his brother watched in horror.
"All of us at Schlitterbahn have been heartbroken over the tragedy that occurred on Verrückt. In our 50 years of providing an environment for families and friends to gather, we've never experienced this kind of devastating event. The safety of our staff and our guests is our top priority. We are parents and grandparents ourselves and many of us have ridden Verrückt with our own children and grandchildren over the years it operated," the park said in a statement Tuesday.
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"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. In our opinion, it is the only proper course of action following this tragedy," the statement continued.
The water park's website billed the Verrückt as the tallest water slide in the world. This information has since been scrubbed.
At about mid-afternoon shortly after he attended church on Sunday, Aug. 7, the thrill Caleb was seeking on the Verrückt became heartache for the Schwabs after he died on the 17 stories tall slide.
Information released by police in Kansas City said Caleb, who has been described as a faithful Christian and athlete, suffered a "fatal neck injury." He was found dead in a pool at the bottom of the slide and police confirmed with People magazine that he was decapitated.
Eyewitness Esteban Castaneda told ABC News that the scene at the park after Caleb's death was horrific.
Castaneda recalled first hearing booms coming from the area of the slide where the accident occurred then saw a body wash down directly after a raft did.
He said once that happened a lifeguard tried to push the crowd back from the slide and attemped to help because he thought someone was lying face down in the pool. Castaneda said the lifeguard told him there was nothing he could do to help and that's when he noticed what appeared to be the decapitated boy.
Two other women, he told ABC News, were still strapped into the raft but the first position was empty, and it is likely where Caleb was sitting.
According to Fox4kc, Caleb, who was at the park with his parents and brothers, is the second son of Schwab and his wife, Michele.
The two adult women he was traveling with on the slide also suffered injuries. One suffered a broken jaw, and the other a broken bone in her face and had to have stitches in her eye, according to the local news station.
The Kansas City water park said after the slide is demolished they expect to build something new in its place.
"We will, at some point in the future, announce what will be built in its place," said the statement. "We continue to fully cooperate with investigative teams and work with the families, their attorneys and our staff impacted by this accident. As we move forward, we assure everyone who works for us and the community: we remain wholly committed to our Kansas City park and the original vision of Schlitterbahn — providing a great place to work and an environment for families and friends to gather together."
