The 10-year-old son of a state lawmaker died of a neck injury while riding the world’s tallest water slide in Kansas City, Kansas, police said on Monday.
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The Verruckt, a 168-foot-tall waterslide, is one of the main attractions at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City.
The two women on the raft suffered minor injuries to their faces and were hospitalized, it said.
Prosapio said in 2014 that park officials would not hesitate to delay operation again for however long it takes to make sure the slide is safe.
Riders have to be at least 54 inches tall to ride Verruckt, and they’re strapped across the waist and shoulders as their raft reaches speeds of 60 to 70 miles per hour, the Kansas City Star reported shortly after its opening.
Caleb’s parents – Republican state Rep. Scott Schwab and his wife, Michele – have requested privacy and have not spoken publicly since the death of Caleb, whose funeral is Friday. Kansas’ Labor Department didn’t return messages Monday.
Another witness, Esteban Castaneda, told ABC 7 that when the raft Schwab had been riding in reached the bottom of the slide, lifeguards were attempting to push crowds back, but Castaneda noticed someone in the water who looked to be decapitated.
– The Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) and Secretary Lana Gordon wish to extend our continued thoughts and prayers to the Schwab family during this incredibly hard time.
When it happened, I’m thinking thank God that it wasn’t my best friend because I’m the one who invited him there that day and I would have felt like it was my fault.
The Verrückt slide at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark is the tallest in the world.
A Kansas City water park said it will reopen Wednesday at noon, but the Verruckt water slide will be closed for the rest of the season, KMBC-TV reported.
Schlitterbahn operates water parks in Texas. The commission also said lobbyists must report their contributions to the state. “Every death is technically a criminal matter until we clear it or categorized it as an accident”, Kansas City police spokesman Cameron Morgan said.
The Verrückt water slide is the tallest in the world, according to Guinness World Records. The Nebraska man said he “just held on”, and a video shot by his wife shows the strap loose at the ride’s end. An age requirement of 14 years was waived shortly after the ride opened in 2012, though the height mandate remained intact.
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Merker said all of the parks are inspected daily before the park opens up and Sunday’s accident at the Verrückt “is the first issue we’ve had with this ride at all”.
