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Star-Telegram

World’s Tallest Water Slide to Be Torn Down Following Death of 10-Year-Old Boy

Nov 23, 2016  •  Post A Comment

The amusement park ride billed as the world’s tallest water slide, where a 10-year-old boy was killed in August, will be dismantled. The Star-Telegram reports that the Verruckt, at the Schlitterbahn Kansas City Water Park, will be demolished once the investigation into the death of Caleb Thomas Schwab is completed.

The report cites a statement released Tuesday by Schlitterbahn.

Caleb was killed while riding the water slide Aug. 7. The 168-foot, 17-story-drop Verruckt opened in 2014.

“Caleb was found dead at the bottom of the slide with what police termed a ‘fatal neck injury.’ One witness told The Star after the incident that she could tell the boy’s neck was broken,” the paper reports. “Kansas City, Kan., police are investigating the Schlitterbahn case, as they would in any death, to determine if a crime occurred. No information will be released until the investigation is complete.”

The water park’s statement says: “All of us at Schlitterbahn have been heartbroken over the tragedy that occurred on Verruckt. 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 Verruckt with our own children and grandchildren over the years it operated.’

The statement adds: “Once the investigation is concluded and we are given permission by the court, Verruckt 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.”

schlitterbahn-kansas-city

One Comment

  1. What the hell was a ten year old kid doing on a slide of this magnitude? Where were his parents or other adults?

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