KS - Caleb Schwab, 10, dies on 17-story Schlitterbahn waterpark slide, Aug 2016

Does anyone know how the death occurred? Equipment failure, crash or velocity of ride? Thanks.
 

I've just been reading about this it is tragic. Hopefully they can figure out exactly how it happened. There used to be an age 14 requirement to ride this along with minimum height but the age requirement of 14 was removed at some point. R.I.P Caleb Schawb.
 
The victim has been identified. He was only 10:

The world’s tallest water slide turned deadly on Sunday after a Kansas state lawmaker's son was killed on the Kansas City attraction.

Caleb Thomas Schwab, the son of Rep. Scott Schwab, died on the 17-story water slide known as the Verrückt — boasted as a ride taller than Niagara Falls — at Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas.

Kansas lawmaker's son killed riding world’s tallest water slide
http://nydn.us/2aMQlqC
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KCTV5 - Kansas City on Twitter:

Here's a photo of Caleb Schwab, who died at Schiltterbahn today.
https://t.co/e7SMmJmTfE
ff8786aa8151345e151c60a256b244c8.png

https://mobile.twitter.com/KCTV5/status/762454272957030401?ref_src=twsrc^tfw
:rose:
#RIPCaleb
:(


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Caleb Thomas Schwab, a freckled baseball and soccer enthusiast, was the son of Rep. Scott Schwab and his wife, Michele. Hours after the fun and laughter, the Schwabs were being comforted at their home with hugs and kisses of friends and colleagues. One of them was state Sen. Greg Smith who lost his own daughter, Kelsey, to a murderer in 2007.
The ride is covered in netting because the sides of the chute are low so the riders can see out.

“It’s nice to always know that nobody’s ever going to come out of the ride,” Henry said on opening day.

Henry told USA Today at the time of the opening that the slide was dangerous, “but it’s a safe dangerous now. 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.”
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article94254507.html#storylink=cpy
 
That photo just breaks my heart. CNN didn't have much info either regarding what may have happened. So sad.
 

This article has a photo from inside the slide that shows the netting.http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3728474/Boy-12-dies-accident-Kansas-City-water-park.html When I went on a ride like this many years ago but nowhere near as high I sat at the front and was frightened of being thrown out of the front. We don't know yet if Caleb was on the ride with anyone but if he was their information will play a key role in explaining what went tragically wrong.
 
Erika Tallan ‏@ErikaTallan 4h4 hours ago
@FOX2now according to tweets from @meganbrilley... a witness told her the boy was decapitated. Officials won't say.


Erika Tallan ‏@ErikaTallan 4h4 hours ago
@FOX2now @meganbrilley I know.its so sad.I remember reporting on the ride's opening delayed cuz test dummies went airborne.

They are not saying this is what happened... just that they remember reporting on the delayed opening because of the test dummy issue.

Horrible. Terrible enough that the child died, but if that's true I can't imagine the trauma these parents experienced and will continue to relive throughout their lives.
 
There was a thread here at WS when this ride first opened..... One of the posts mentioned this slide looking like an accident waiting to happen.

So sad, horrific.
 
Looking back at the video, I wonder if maybe he was propelled through the netting which then sliced through him like a razor blade. Sorry. All kinds of terrible images going through my mind. If this wasn't designed to be a "family ride," why didn't they limit it to adults, say 18yo and older?
 
I remember watching videos of tests of this rides a few years ago and the boats went airborne. It was horrible looking. I was surprised that it ever opened at all, honestly.

The combined weight of passengers needs to be between 400 and 550, I believe. I remember thinking how creepy it was that it was so specific on weight like that.
 
Looking back at the video, I wonder if maybe he was propelled through the netting which then sliced through him like a razor blade. Sorry. All kinds of terrible images going through my mind. If this wasn't designed to be a "family ride," why didn't they limit it to adults, say 18yo and older?

It looks like it's just made of rope so I don't know if that would even be possible.
 
Riders on the Verrückt are supposed to be at least 54 inches tall. Riders sit in a three-person raft and are secured with straps across the waist and shoulders, like a seat belt. The combined weight of riders per raft must be between 400 and 550 pounds. Riders are weighed at the bottom of the tower and again at the top.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article94254507.html#storylink=cpy

10 Year Old Boy: Boys tend to weigh more than girls as they get older, but at this age the girls are heavier. Boys tend to weigh about 68 pounds (31kg) on average; normal range is anything from 57 to 100 pounds. The height of 10 year old boy can be generally around 54.5 inches.
http://m.newhealthadvisor.com/How-Much-Should-a-10-Year-Old-Weigh.html

I wonder why the minimum combined weight.

I also wonder if their scales are properly calibrated.

Hard to tell for certain from his photograph, but he doesn't look to be on the heavy side of the normal range.

Such a horrible tragedy.

My extremely thin sister flew out from under the safety bar one time on a roller coaster. She was holding the bar as instructed and met the height requirement.

I had to pull her back down under the bar. Scared the bejeebers out of me.
 
I remember watching videos of tests of this rides a few years ago and the boats went airborne. It was horrible looking. I was surprised that it ever opened at all, honestly.

The combined weight of passengers needs to be between 400 and 550, I believe. I remember thinking how creepy it was that it was so specific on weight like that.
Riders on the Verrückt are supposed to be at least 54 inches tall. Riders sit in a three-person raft and are secured with straps across the waist and shoulders, like a seat belt. The combined weight of riders per raft must be between 400 and 550 pounds. Riders are weighed at the bottom of the tower and again at the top.There are 264 steps to the top and call boxes for emergencies.

The chute drops 168 feet, 7 inches, and the raft hits speeds of 60 to 70 mph. After the initial drop, the raft climbs a five-story hill before continuing to a stop.

The list of rules for riders includes admonitions to remain seated and to hold onto the raft handles at all times.
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article94254507.html#storylink=cpy
 
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article94254507.html#storylink=cpy


http://m.newhealthadvisor.com/How-Much-Should-a-10-Year-Old-Weigh.html

I wonder why the minimum combined weight.

I also wonder if their scales are properly calibrated.

Hard to tell for certain from his photograph, but he doesn't look to be on the heavy side of the normal range.

Such a horrible tragedy.

My extremely thin sister flew out from the safety bar one time on a roller coaster. She was holding the bar as instructed and met the height requirement.

I had to pull her back down under the bar. Scared the bejeebers out of me.
BBM Probably to prevent the raft from going airborne too much.

The article I linked says the ride is inspected internally daily and by an outside agency once per year.
 
Authorities originally said that Caleb was 12 years old but Sprague confirmed that he was actually 10.

The height requirement to ride Verruckt is at least 54 inches tall and riders must be at least 14 years old, according to the park's website.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ent-Kansas-City-water-park.html#ixzz4Gi2w08oc
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

It sounds as though the water park thought that he was 12 years old. But he was still too young/ too small to ride.
 

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