Esteban Castaneda, who was at the Kansas City attraction on Sunday, said he heard loud booms coming from the side of the ride before noticing a body washing down after a raft.
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Kansas City Police said Schwab’s death had been caused by a “fatal neck injury at the end of the ride”.
The tragic incident occurred on elected officials day Sunday, a day on which elected officials and their families were given free admission to the water park and lunch.
On Sunday, 10-year-old Caleb Schwab was killed in accident while riding the world’s tallest water slide, the Verruckt. State inspectors reportedly last checked the waterpark in 2012, well before the ride opened.
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The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, the largest trade association for permanent amusement park rides, said in a statement Tuesday that it opposes any effort to enact federal oversight.
The authorities in the U.S. state of Kansas are investigating the death of a 10-year-old boy when he was taking a ride on what is billed as the world’s tallest water slide. The park was closed Monday.
Park officials said that the amusement park would remain closed at least until Wednesday and the water coaster will be shut down as the matter is investigated.
The commission said Monday that contributions to the campaign to help Rep. Scott Schwab’s family fall under the state’s $40-a-year limit on gifts from lobbyists to legislators. The Verrückt slide at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark is the tallest in the world. The women received minor facial injuries and were treated at area hospitals.
The 168-foot-tall waterslide, which is certified by Guinness World Records as the world’s tallest, is named “Verruckt” – the German word for “insane”.
A promotional video about building the slide includes footage of two men riding a raft down a half-size test model and going slightly airborne as it crests the top of the first big hill. The ride stands 168-feet high at its tallest point and propels rafts with 2-3 riders at speeds of up to 65 miles per hour.
Caleb Schwab died Sunday afternoon on the Verrückt ride at Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City.
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The Schlitterbahn spokesman stated no interviews will be granted to journalists. Castaneda also said that he had ridden Verruckt earlier in the day with his younger cousin, who said her Velcro seatbelt began to come undone toward the end of the slide.
