Caleb Schwab. (Family photo)
The 10-year-old son of a Kansas state lawmaker was killed Sunday in an accident on the world’s tallest water slide at Schlitterbahn, a Kansas City waterpark, his family says.
Caleb Thomas Schwab is the son of State Representative Scott Schwab and his wife, Melanie, of Olathe, the Kansas City Star reports.
“Michele and I want to thank the Olathe and Kansas City, Kansas, communities and all our friends and family for their outpouring of support and compassion as it relates to the sudden loss of our son, Caleb Thomas Schwab,” the family said in a statement.
Schwab died on the Verruckt, a water slide that opened in 2014. The ride’s name is German for “insane.” According to the park’s website, the slide sends two to three riders on a raft down a “jaw-dropping” 168 foot high, 7 foot wide structure.
Riders, who are strapped in, are then “blasted back up a second massive hill and then sent down yet another gut wrenching 50 foot drop for the ultimate in water slide thrills,” the park says on its website.
The two to three riders must have a combined weight between 400 and 550 pounds and must be at least 54 inches tall, according to the park. There is no age requirement.
You can watch a first-person video from the slide here:
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Officials initially said the boy was 12, but his family says he is 10. The investigation into the accident is continuing and few details about what happened have been released.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Witnesses Say They Saw the Boy Go Airborne & Hit Netting After the Slide’s First Drop, Resulting in a Bloody Injury
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Witnesses told KSHB-TV they saw the boy fly into the air after the first steep drop, causing him to hit netting. The nets are set up on the sides of the slide as a precautionary measure.
The witnesses said they saw blood on the ride after the accident. Others told the news station that the harness device wasn’t functioning properly.
The park did not confirm those details, saying an investigation is still underway.
Leslie Castaneda, told KMBC-TV the boy’s brother watched the incident unfold.
“The little boy said to a worker, ‘I just saw my little brother die because of one of your attractions,’” Castaneda said.
Casteneda told the news station the boy went to find his mother, who was on another ride.
(The victim) looked skinny. He shouldn’t have been on that ride,” she said.
Video from a news helicopter showed blood pooled at the bottom of the slide (Warning: Graphic).
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Emergency responders were called to the water park at 2:34 p.m. by off-duty police officers working security, the Kansas City Star reports.
Police are working with the park to investigate the cause of the accident.
“Our deepest condolences go to the family, very sad situation,” Police Chief Terry Zeigler told the newspaper.
The fire department was also called to the scene and is “assisting with the death investigation,” according to a tweet from Chief John Paul Jones.
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2. Caleb’s Family Says He ‘Brought Abundant Joy to Our Family & All Those He Came in Contact With’
Caleb’s family issued a statement about the accident through their pastor:
Michele and I want to thank the Olathe and Kansas City, Kansas,communities and all our friends and family for their outpouring of support and compassion as it relates to the sudden loss of our son, Caleb Thomas Schwab.
Since the day he was born, he brought abundant joy to our family and all those who he came in contact with. As we try and mend our home with him no longer with us, we are comforted knowing he believed in his Savior, Jesus, and they are forever together now. We will see him another day.
Your continued prayers are welcome and appreciated. We appreciate your understanding of our family’s need for privacy during this difficult time of grieving.
Other family members told WDAF-TV that Caleb loved playing baseball and was very involved in his church.
“They are an amazing, resilient family, full of faith,” Clint Sprague, lead pastor of Life Mission Church, told the Kansas City Star. “They are just grieving their loss right now.”
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the family with funeral expenses.
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3. Scott Schwab Has Been a Kansas State Representative Since 2008 & It Was Elected Officials Day at the Water Park
Scott Schwab. (Kansas Legislature)
Caleb’s father, Scott Schwab, has represented Kansas’s 49th district since 2008, according to the legislature’s website. A Republican, he was previously the district’s representative from 2003 to 2006.
He works in healthcare sales. He and his wife, Melanie, live in Olathe, Kansas. They have two other children. Caleb was their youngest son.
“The primary reason for my desire to serve in the Kansas House is to help create an economic environment for kids like mine to have a future here in Kansas,” Schwab told the Kansas City Star during his 2014 re-election bid.
It was Elected Official Day at the water park, and many other lawmakers were there with their families, KSHB-TV reports.
Lawmakers were given free admission and lunch.
“I would hope that all safety formality had been followed and that sadly this is an unforeseeable accident,” State Senator Pat Pettey, who was at the park and whose daughter and 17-year-old grandson rode the water slide Sunday morning, told the Star. “Human error occurs. If that is the case, I’m sure it will be determined in the investigation.”
Pettey said the ride has been popular since it opened.
“I’m sure thousands of people have ridden it this summer alone,” Pettey told the newspaper. “It’s just a terrible, terrible thing that’s happened. I can’t imagine what it would be like to be at any kind of park and have something like that happen.”
Several local politicians expressed condolences on Twitter:
Today my good friends Scott and Michele Schwab lost their son Caleb in a tragic accident at Schlitterbahn Kansas City Waterpark.
— Rep. Kevin Yoder (@RepKevinYoder) August 8, 2016
Words can’t express how heartbroken I am for them and their 3 boys in this time of devastation.
— Rep. Kevin Yoder (@RepKevinYoder) August 8, 2016
There may be no greater loss in life than a parent losing a child. May you please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
— Rep. Kevin Yoder (@RepKevinYoder) August 8, 2016
My thoughts and prayers are with Rep. Scott Schwab and his family after the tragic loss of his son, Caleb. #ksleg
— Anthony Hensley (@SenatorHensley) August 8, 2016
Our hearts and prayers go out to Rep. Scott Schwab’s family on the death of his son Caleb.
— Julia Lynn (@senatorlynn) August 8, 2016
Rep Scott Schwab & family, Jason & I were heartbroken to hear of your loss. Prayers w you & our belief that Caleb is in Christ’s embrace.
— Madam Chair + C4 Gal (@amanda_adkins) August 8, 2016
My heart goes out to the Rep Scott Schwab family grieving the death of son, Caleb. Prayers of comfort to the family.and friends.
— Jan Kessinger (@Kessinger4KS) August 8, 2016
“It is with an absolutely broken heart we have to ask for prayers for the Schwab family who suddenly and tragically lost their sweet and energetic son in an accident today. No words can express the pain we all feel for this terrible tragedy,” House Speaker Ray Merrick told other members of the legislature in an email. “We will share remembrance details when we receive them.”
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4. The Park’s Owner Delayed the Opening of Verruckt & Said It Is ‘Dangerous, But Safe Dangerous’
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The 2014 opening of the Verruckt water slide was delayed because of safety issues, KSHB-TV reports. The opening was delayed four times and the park admitted issues with its conveyor system, gearbox and shafts.
“It’s dangerous, but it’s safe dangerous now,” Jeff Henry, co-owner of Schlitterbahn, told USA Today in 2014. “Schlitterbahn is a family water park, but this isn’t a family ride. It’s for the thrill seekers of the world, people into extreme adventure.”
“It’s like jumping off the Empire State Building. It’s the scariest thing I’ve done,” Henry said, after being one of the first to take the plunge.
The park says the ride was recently inspected and has not commented about possible safety issues.
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“All rides are inspected every day actually,” park spokesman Winter Prosapio told reporters Sunday at a press conference. “And our rides are inspected by an outside party before the season starts.”
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5. Schlitterbahn Was Closed After the Accident & the Verruckt Will Remain Shut Down
The park issued a statement saying Schlitterbahn was closed down after the accident:
We are saddened to share that a young boy died on Verruckt this afternoon. Given that safety is our first priority, we have closed the Kansas City park today and Monday and have closed the ride pending a full investigation. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time.
Guests who were at the park received refunds in cash or gift cards. A state law requires the ride to be shut down after an accident involving serious injury or death.
Park spokesman Winter Prosapio said they don’t know many details about the accident.
“We honestly don’t know what happened,” Prosapio told reporters. “That’s why an investigation, a full investigation, is necessary.”
She said she doesn’t believe anything like this has happened at the Kansas City park before.
Prosapio did not have any details about procedures the park follows for incidents involving serious injury or death.
“Safety of our guests is a priority. In addition to what happened on the ride, other staff are affected. Our lifeguards are critical. It will be very difficult for them to focus after something like this,” Prosapio told reporters.
One parkgoer told KMBC-TV they were not immediately told to leave.
“The thing that got me was there was no responders. They didn’t make any announcement,” Leslie Castaneda said. “We left 15 to 20 minutes after it happened.”
Schlitterbahn, a family-owned company based in New Braunfels, Texas, operates four water parks in Texas in addition to the Kansas City park.
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Tom Cleary is a reporter and editor for Heavy.com. Tom was a breaking news reporter at the Connecticut Post and an editor at the Register Citizen and New Haven Register. He can be reached by email at Tom.Cleary@Heavy.com. Follow him on Twitter @tomwcleary.August 8, 2016 12:50 am
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