Verruckt Water Slide Where Caleb Schwab Died Remains Closed as Inspection Report Shows Little Gov't Oversight
The 17-story Verrückt water slide at the Schlitterbahn Kansas City park where Caleb Schwab, the 10-year-old son of Christian Republican Kansas state Rep. Scott Schwab died Sunday, will remain shuttered for the rest of the season.
Schlitterbahn Kansas City said in a statement Tuesday they would reopen a "limited portion" of the park on Wednesday for the first time since Caleb's death but would keep the 17-story slide closed. Park officials also noted that they would continue to pray for everyone affected by the tragedy.
"Here at Schlitterbahn we continue to pray and keep in our thoughts everyone impacted by the tragic events on Sunday and we are keeping the Schwab family in our prayers. A limited portion of our Kansas City park will open for guests at noon on Wednesday. Verrückt will not re-open for the remainder of the season," the statement said.
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The announcement comes as a report from KCTV5 News in Kansas on Tuesday cited a Schlitterbahn inspection report showing very little government oversight on the world's tallest water slide.
The Kansas Department of Labor, which oversees all amusement rides in the state, provided the station with an inspection report from 2012 — a full two years before the Verrückt opened.
Under Kansas law, amusement park owners are required to conduct their own inspections with a licensed inspector but without state oversight. They also have to post a certificate of inspection and keep inspection records as well as submit an annual itinerary to let the government know when the park opens and closes.
Ken Martin, an amusement ride safety analyst and consultant from Virginia, told the station that these requirements are not enough to keep the public safe.
"They tell us there's a weight limit on the slide. How do we know they are actually weighing each person? How do we know they're weighing the tubes? How do we know all of this is consistently done day-to-day?" Martin asked.
He said the federal government needs to step in and make inspections consistent at amusement parks in every state.
"If the states are not going to do it and do it consistently across the country, all on the same level, same page as the hymn book, and sing all in key, then the feds need to come in and do it," said Martin.
Details provided by Sandrarose.com suggest Caleb's death could have been caused by an underweight raft on Sunday.
Caleb was reportedly placed in a raft with two women who were strangers to him. Eyewitness accounts on social media alleged in the report that the combined weight of the two adult women and Caleb did not meet the minimum 400 pounds required for the safe maneuvering of the raft along the slide. Other eyewitness accounts noted that the scale at the top of the slide was malfunctioning on Sunday.
According to Sandrarose.com, the velcro straps that were supposed to keep young Caleb secured in the raft while it was in motion also failed and several people who have experienced the slide said it wasn't the first time the velcro straps failed.
Omaha, Nebraska, native Paul Oberhauser told ABC 8 that just two weeks ago while he was riding the Verrückt with his son "the shoulder strap just kind of busted loose."
"As soon as I hit the bottom of the first curve — the shoulder strap just kind of busted loose and I just held on as we went up the top of the next hill," said Oberhauser.
Eyewitnesses cited by Sandrarose.com recounted that Caleb had the same experience with one exception — he did not survive.
Caleb reportedly went down the initial 17-story vertical drop on the slide safely. But like Oberhauser, things started going off script as the raft crested the second smaller hill on the slide that precedes a gut-wrenching 50-foot drop.
"Prior test runs showed water friction caused the rafts to come to a dead stop before cresting the smaller hill. So powerful water jets were added to push the rafts up and over the smaller hill," Sandrarose.com explained.
The website noted that it was near the top of the smaller hill that Caleb's raft went airborne due to the three passengers being under the 400 pound weight minimum required for the ride.
"The velcro strap that should have held Caleb in the raft failed, and he was launched into the netting. His head collided with one of the metal hoop bars supporting the netting. At 65 miles per hour, Caleb's head was decapitated above the shoulders," the report explained.
Unlike young Caleb, Oberhauser managed to secure himself by gripping the handles in the raft near his legs until it came to a stop.
"I just gripped it really tight once I realized the shoulder restraint came loose," Paul said.
Oberhauser and his wife, Erin, say they notified the company of the malfunction by first telling workers at the park.
Erin said she later tagged Schlitterbahn in a Facebook post.
"Didn't hear from Schlitterbahn and thought ah it must not be a big thing," Erin said. Then on Sunday she got the news of Caleb's death.
"Shocked — it was just surreal to know we were just there — just on it — I have pictures still on my phone," Erin said.
In a Facebook post on Sunday shortly after Caleb's accident, Erin said her husband wasn't the only person she witnessed experiencing a problem with the velcro strap.
"My 9 year old rode this less than two weeks ago. He met the height requirement but nobody asked for age and I didn't know it was 14, or he wouldn't have gone on it!! Paul's shoulder belt came loose while they were on it, but he's big enough and strong enough to hold on so he came out unscathed. We told the Schlitterbahn folks but they didn't seem too concerned, they said, 'That's not good.' We aren't sure whether or not they kept that raft in service," said Erin.
"About two hours later, we saw the same thing happen to another guy. Both Paul and the other guy were in the back of the raft where they put the heavier folks as anchors. I'm doubting this little guy was in the back, but it is scary stuff!! I know one thing for sure, I am grateful to God for Wyatt's safety and my heart hurts for the Schwab family," she added.
In a follow-up post on Wednesday, Erin further noted: "We don't know what the circumstances are behind Caleb's accident. We have no idea whether or not it was due to strap malfunction…"
She also expressed how saddened her family is for the Schwabs and asked for prayers for the family especially for Caleb's older brother, Nate, who watched his death unfold.
"We are absolutely sickened and heartbroken for the Schwab family and cannot begin to fathom what they are going through. Our prayers are with them and our hearts hurt for them. I have just been notified that specific prayers are needed for Caleb's 12-year-old brother, Nate, who witnessed the whole thing. Please keep him, as well as the parents and younger brothers, in your prayers," she said.
Visitation for Caleb will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday at LifeMission Church in Olathe, Kansas. A memorial service is set for 2 p.m. on Friday.
