AUGUST 9, 2016 REPORT: It's called "the world's tallest water slide," and it reaches higher than the Statue of Liberty and Niagara Falls. The slide is 168-feet tall and has 264 stairs leading to the top -- taller than the Statue of Liberty. Visitors flocked to Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City, Kansas, to experience its thrill. Family took photos of friend's snapped harness; Details on 'Fox & Friends'. Esteban Castaneda told ABC News he first heard a "boom" on Schlitterbahn Waterpark's Verruckt water slide, which is promoted as the world's tallest. Caleb struck the protective overhead netting and the metal poles that supported it, according to court documents previously obtained by PEOPLE. We are good at sending thoughts and prayers, Truesdell quipped. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Schlitterbahn allegedly buried or downplayed these reports. Castaneda said he had ridden the slide earlier in the day with his cousin's 14-year-old daughter. Jeffrey W. Henry at the Verrckt waterslide that he helped design for a Kansas water park. We ask the community to please keep all of those impacted in your thoughts and prayers," representatives for the park said. There wasn't a lot of science or ride engineering involved in the testing and design, Truesdell said. The lifeguard looked at me and assured me that its really not a big deal, she told Fox News. "We held each other and had a little emotional meltdown once we moved away from the immediate area," she says. A memorial service is planned for Friday afternoon. All Rights Reserved. It's the scariest thing I've done.". Caleb died Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016, while riding the Verruckt, a water slide that's billed as the world's largest, at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City, Kan. (David Strickland / AP) KANSAS . World News | Reuters | Tuesday August 9, 2016 A water park in Kansas was closed on Monday as police investigated the death of a state lawmaker's 10-year-old son on the world's tallest water. 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Dr. Robert Klapper says to start pool exercises as way to improve back, Elizabeth Holmes has 2nd child as she tries to avoid prison, TikTok sets new default time limits for teens. The ride was designed at the park, led by John Schooley with assistance from park co-owner Jeff Henry. It turned out to be 10-year-old Caleb Schwab, who was killed on the ride. A witness named Kelsey Friedrichsen recalls, "It looked like he must have somehow been ejected from his seat, bounced around between the netting and the slide and just slid down. Another rider, Kenneth Conrad, told WDAF-TV that during his trip down the waterslide last year with a friend, the friend's shoulder strap came "completely off." Sara Craig, who took her 14-year-old son and his friend to the park on Wednesday said: "I feel guilty having fun when a family is hurting so badly.. -- A judge dismissed criminal charges Friday against a Kansas water park owner and the designer of a 17-story slide on which a 10-year-old boy was decapitated in 2016. The 10-year-old son of Kansas politician Scott Schwab died while riding the world's tallest waterslide, the 17-storey Verruckt, in Kansas City, The Sun reports. July 13 (UPI) --A judge has ruled a Kansas waterslide billed as the world's largest, where a boy was killed in 2016, will be demolished this summer.The 17-story Verruckt slide at Schlitterbahn . With opening day of Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City approaching, the Verrckt water slide still stands as a reminder of the grisly death of 10-year-old Caleb Schwab last year. A water park company's co-owner was arrested Monday in Texas in connection with a Kansas criminal case arising from a 10-year-old boy's death on what was promoted as the world's largest waterslide. Police ID suspect accused of stealing bus from JFK Airport, Kiss reveal last dates of their farewell tour, ending in NYC. The Kansas City Star reports an attorney representing an affiliate of Kansas City, Kansas, park . Two women who are not family members were also in the raft at the time and were treated for facial injuries. "I heard the noise, and I looked over immediately, and I saw his broken neck and him sliding down the slide leaving a blood trail," Melanie Gocke told CNN. Details surrounding the death remain. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. I know I will. Riders go down the slide in multi-person rafts and have to be at last 54 inches tall, according to the park's website. German for insane, Verrckt was designed to challenge the laws of physics. A showcase of cinematic short documentary films, curated by The Atlantic. The Verrckt German for "crazy" or "insane" had been named the world's tallest waterslide by Guinness World Records. "It . The rafts sometimes lifted from the chute momentarily, and the slide was covered with netting, supported by metal poles, so riders would not fall off. The pair had hoped to ride the "World's Largest Waterslide" together. ABC News talked with Esteban Castaneda, who witnessed the incident at the water park. other recent tragedies are any indication. How Much Money Do Survivor Contestants Get Paid? A person familiar with the investigation confirmed to The Associated Press on Wednesday the boy was decapitated. Caleb Schwab, 10, died on the world's tallest water slide in Kansas City in August 2016 Credit: David Strickland 7 The water slide in Kansas City was billed as the world's tallest at 168ft high 7 Fire engines pictured at the scene of the fatal accident in 2016 Credit: Reuters 7 In seeking the indictment, state attorneys showed grand jurors video footage filmed for a Travel Channel show, Xtreme Waterparks, which featured the slide in an episode. "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," he wrote. ABC News talked with Esteban Castaneda, who witnessed the incident at the water park. An investigation has been launched into how the incident occurred on the "Verruckt" raft ride at the Kansas City attraction. ", In fact, even Henry told USA Today upon riding the Verrckt, "I'm still recovering mentally. The Verruckt ride will remain closed while the accident is investigated; the rest of the park is tentatively scheduled to reopen on Wednesday. "Since the day he was born, he brought abundant joy to our family and all those he came in contact with," he said. Caleb Thomas Schwab, the son of Rep. Scott Schwab, died on the 17-story. Witnesses have described the harrowing moments after a 10-year-old boy was decapitated while riding on the worlds biggest waterslide in Kansas while other riders have told of their safety straps also coming loose . 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Jeff Henry, Verrckt creator and Schlitterbahn co-owner, told USA Today about the several delays in opening the slide in 2014: "We had many issues on the engineering side. A young childs life was lost and his troubling death was mourned by family, friends and the entire Kansas community and beyond.. She said the family rode Verruckt twice in one day a couple of weeks ago. The Kansas Department of Labor provided a copy of an insurance company inspector's June 7 letter saying inspections had been completed on Wednesday. Riders are told to hold ropes inside the raft. He was found dead at the bottom of the slide, and the two . 6, See Sister Wives Christine and BF Davids Cutest Moments: Photos, Inside '90 Day Fiance Stars Memphis and Hamzas Custody Battle, Gone Too Soon! It's too awful to even imagine, but now his parents, State Representative Scott Schwab and his wife Michele, are mourning the loss of their young son. In his ruling, the judge, Robert Burns of Wyandotte County, wrote that there was illegal evidence that should not have been presented to the grand jury and called into question videos and expert testimony presented to jurors. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. * Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Conrad's wife snapped a photo at the end of the ride showing the strap missing, and Conrad didn't file a complaint with the park. "The family and each and every one of those affected are foremost on our minds and in our hearts today. Are Tarek and Christina Still Business Partners After 'Flip or Flop'? That was really exciting because we truly didnt know whether we were going to survive it or not, he says. The video here is a point-of-view shot of the Giant Verrckt Water Slide at the Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City, where the son of a state lawmaker died while plummeting down the 168-foot drop! 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Jeffrey Henry, co-owner of the park, and John Schooley, the lead designer of the ride, have been charged with second-degree murder and face charges of aggravated endangerment of a child and aggravated battery. Caleb Schwab died six years ago in the tragedy at Schlitterbahn Park, in Kansas, on a water slide called Verruckt, which means crazy in German. KANSAS CITY, Kansas (WPVI) -- A witness to the tragic death of a 10-year-old boy on the world's tallest water slide in Kansas has revealed gruesome details of how the boy died. The park's spokeswoman didn't return messages Tuesday from The Associated Press seeking comment on the claims. I didn't understand what was going on so I only saw Caleb sliding down the last half of the slide, and then I saw the blood. Kansas City, Kansas -- A judge dismissed criminal charges Friday against a Kansas water park owner and the designer of a 17-story slide on which a 10-year-old boy was decapitated in 2016 . The slide is 168 feet and has 264 stairs leading to the top -- taller than the Statue of Liberty. The slide's name means "insane" in German. The story, it turned out, was one of gross negligence, lax state regulations, and the consequences of hubris. And although the Schlitterbahn Water Park is for families, this ride in particular is meant to attract so-called "thrill-seekers. He described a horrific scene after the boy's death. They realized that he was dead, so I don't think they tried to revive him.. Did he enjoy extreme rides? Legal Statement. The two women in Calebs raft sisters who sustained facial injuries and bone fractures also received settlements from the park. Pastor Clint Sprague, the family spokesperson for the Schwab family said they're heartbroken. Although they had built rides before, neither Henry nor Schooley had a background in mechanical engineering. (David Strickland via AP). Riders go down the slide in multi-person rafts and have to be at last 54 inches tall, according to the park's website. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. 'I'm not supposed to be here': Penn doc on mission to find treatments, PennDOT worker remains seriously injured after hit-and-run. Fellow rider Jess Sanford, from Lincoln, Nebraska, told CNN: When I heard a noise that didn't sound like it was supposed to come from that kind of ride, that's when I turned around. When the Verrckt slide opened in 2014, it was billed as "the world's tallest water slide.". Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. This is likely where Caleb had been sitting. Caleb Thomas Schwab, the son of Kansas State Rep. Scott Schwab, was killed Sunday while riding "Verruckt" at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City. The death of a 10-year-old Kansas boy who was decapitated in a 2016 water slide accident led to criminal charges of recklessness and second-degree murder against the owner, designers and. The two women in his raft, who were not related to Caleb, suffered minor injuries, police said. ", In a statement, Schlitterbahn officials said they "are deeply and intensely saddened for the Schwab family and all who were impacted by the tragic accident.". Castaneda, who said he hasn't been interviewed by police, said that he started running toward the slide, then heard a lifeguard yelling and a boy screaming hysterically. On Friday, a state court judge threw out those charges. In early tests, rafts carrying sandbags flew off the slide, prompting engineers to tear down half of the ride and reconfigure some angles. Messages Tuesday from the park is for families, this ride in particular is meant to attract so-called thrill-seekers. 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