The Schwab family released a statement through its pastor, Clint Sprague, in the wake of Caleb’s death.
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Authorities still aren’t certain of the circumstances that surrounded the accident, but police officials said Monday night that a neck injury directly led to his death.
The park gave no details on what happened to the boy, but said grief counselors were being made available to employees and guests.
Caleb Schwab died Sunday on a slide at the Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City.
While it appears the boy’s death was an accident, police said they must examine it as a crime until the evidence indicates otherwise.
Paul Oberhauser said his belt came off while riding with a friend and his 9-year-old son about two weeks ago.
The park is yet to comment on the claims. Schlitterbahn said in a statement on its website that the park is scheduled to reopen on August 10 but the Verruckt will remain closed.
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.
Caleb is the son of Republican state Rep. Scott Schwab of Olathe. Police officials have not said if Caleb or his passengers met both the height and weight requirements.
Those going on the slide are required to be at least 1.37m tall.
“We honestly don’t know what’s happened”, she said at a news conference Sunday. Two media sneak preview days in 2014 were cancelled because of problems with a conveyor system that hauls 100-pound (45-kg) rafts to the top of the slide.
Without specifically mentioning waterslides, Kansas statutes define an amusement ride as any mechanical or electrical conveyance for the goal of giving its passengers amusement, pleasure, thrills or excitement. Such rides, by statute, commonly are Ferris wheels, carousels, parachute towers, bungee jumps and roller coasters. The regulation says amusement rides shall be “randomly selected” quarterly by the department for an audit of its records, though a permanent ride shall be subject to no more than two audits within six months.
“All of the regulations are really done at the state and local level with respect to amusement parks and water parks”.
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A general view of the Verruckt waterslide at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City, Kansas July 8, 2014, before its scheduled opening on July 10.
