The slide will remain closed. The park directed questions about the investigation to police.
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He was “affectionate” and a “hugger”, Sprague said, and he loved baseball, basketball and his church.
Ten-year-old Schwab died Sunday riding the Verrückt waterslide at Schlitterbahn in Kansas City, Kansas.
TheGoFundMe campaign had raised more than $20,000 as of Monday afternoon.
The tragic death of a 10-year-old boy on the world’s tallest waterslide is not being treated as a criminal incident, according to Kansas authorities.
The Kansas City Star said the park was teeming with children of legislators and their parents enjoying free passes when the accident occurred.
The Unified Government of Kansas City, Kan., and Wyandotte County said it did not inspect the operations of such rides and was responsible only for ensuring they adhered to local building codes.
Caleb Thomas Schwab died Sunday while riding the 168-foot Verruckt, one of the top attractions at the park.
Scott Schwab, a state representative, released a statement confirming his son was killed and asking for privacy from the media.
Under Kansas law, the state Department of Labor has jurisdiction over amusement parks, which must inspect their rides every 12 months with state officials authorized to conduct random inspections.
Castaneda, who says he hasn’t been interviewed by police, said he then started running towards the slide after which he said he heard a lifeguard yelling and a boy screaming hysterically. Margaret Studyvin says it’s unclear whether the autopsy results will be publicly released and, if so, when.
A police department statement meanwhile expressed “sincere condolences to the Schwab family on the loss of their son Caleb Schwab”. The park released no other details.
The park was closed Monday amid the investigation.
A GoFundMe page has been created for the family to help with funeral expenses.
Messages left Monday with Kansas’ Labor Department were not immediately returned. Executive Director Carol Williams said the commission received numerous inquiries from lobbyists who want to donate.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this hard time”, she said in a statement.
Schlitterbahn spokeswoman Winter Prosapio told a news conference that it was the first such incident at the park.
Officials are investigating the death of a young Kansas boy on a water slide that is billed as the world’s largest.
Caleb was found dead at the bottom of the slide in the pool and police confirm to PEOPLE that he had been decapitated.
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Schlitterbahn Kansas City confirmed Caleb’s death on their Verrückt slide.
