They would need to determine what the minimum and maximum weights of the passengers in each raft should be, and they would need to find out what gravitational and centrifugal forces those passengers would be able to sustain. A 10-YEAR-old boy was decapitated while riding a water slide in front of his horrified mom and brother in one of the US' worst theme park tragedies. Once again, Jeff and his siblings had no public comment, though Prosapio released another statement that said that Schlitterbahn was shocked by the indictments. When he wasnt working on Schlitterbahn rides, Jeff exported his inventions around the world. According to park rules, a Verrckt rider had to be at least 54 inches (4 feet 6 inches) tall. Leafing through a newspaper, Billye spotted an ad for a property called Camp Landa, a modest thirteen-acre campground with some sagging frame cabins that was for sale in the Hill Country town of New Braunfels, thirty miles north of San Antonio and fifty miles south of Austin. The Wyandotte County coroners office conducted an autopsy on Monday but it is unclear whether they will publicly release the results. Caleb, his parents and 3 brothers attended "elected officials day" at the water park on Sunday. An engineering firm hired to inspect the ride right before its opening also issued a damning report that said it "guaranteed that rafts would occasionally go airborne in a manner that could severely injure or kill the occupants.. A humid breeze presses down on the dead summer grass. In a field near Schlitterbahns corporate headquarters, in New Braunfels, they constructed a small model of Verrckt, one twelfth the size of the real thing, and they sent a model car down the slide, along with cantaloupes and watermelons, to test it. Jeff Henry often said that his goal in life was to make customers of his familys legendary water parks happyto put a smile on their faces, to give them a thrill or two. It was a beautiful vision. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. KANSAS CITY, Kansas, United States The 10-year-old boy killed during a ride on the world's tallest waterslide was decapitated in the accident, a person familiar with the investigation said Wednesday. He added, Neither did Henry Ford, and he built the car., Jeff returned to Texas and stayed out of public view, splitting his time between a condo he owns in South Padre and a home he owns outside New Braunfels on a remote piece of property a short walk away from the grave sites of his mother and father. Daniel Vaughn is the countrys first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have. Schwab was elected Kansas secretary of state in November. Indeed, for the next two years, there were no public indications that Verrckt had any problems at all. Caleb was 4 feet 11 inches tall and weighed 72 pounds. WHEN Caleb Schwab climbed aboard the world's highest waterslide on August 7, 2016, the 10-year-old could never have known how much danger he was in. Two women that were also on the ride suffered minor injuries. If I really believed I was responsible for the death of that little boy, Id kill myself right now, he said. Decapitated 10-Year-Old. The raft tipped forward. Chip Gaines Bought Larry McMurtrys Historic Texas Bookstore. One is a line from John 3:16. These were Disneylike numbers. The hoop sliced into his neck, and he was instantly decapitated. And as if that wasnt enough, they were going to have to invent a special conveyor system to transport the rafts back up to the top of the platform. The slide would become the talk of the amusement park industry, he said. Calebs head collided with a net and a semicircular metal hoop that arced over the top of the slide. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. At the Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival, you will find a palate-dazzling smorgasbord of cuisines and cocktails in which to indulge. So many Schlitterbahn customers wanted to go down the ride that park officials began requiring them to sign up for time slots. I am appalled anyone would write such details with pictures (including arrows!!) We run a safe operationour 40 years of entertaining millions of people speaks to that., All the defendants pleaded not guilty in a Kansas courtroom. ET. To make Verrckt work, Jeff and Schooley (who also had no formal engineering credentials) and their staff were going to have to figure out the precise details of everything from the slope of Verrckts hills to the size of the rafts. Suddenly, it was hurtling downward: it must have felt to Caleb as if hed fallen off a skyscraper. Republican lawmaker Scott Schwab's son Caleb died on the Verruckt attraction, which means "insane" in German, and has been certified as the world's tallest water slide by Guinness World Records. Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. There are two Bible verses on the back of Caleb's headstone. For Schlitterbahns second season, Jeff added a 50,000-square-foot pool and an inner tube ride that he named the Hillside Tube Chute. He said that if he was demanding and impatient, it was because he was consumed with making Schlitterbahn the best water park in the world. He told one reporter that Verrckt was an erotic piece of art and would go down in history as the most terrifying ride ever built in a water park. He told another reporter that he had conceived of Verrckt because he could no longer tolerate the thought of the worlds tallest slide being in Brazil. Jeff often said that his goal in life was to make Schlitterbahn customers happyto put a smile on their faces, togive them a thrill or two, he told me during one of our conversations this summer. Im a water showman. A light breeze rattled the leaves. You read it quietly and are reminded again that Caleb Schwab should still be here. The two other occupants -- Hannah Barnes and Matraca Baetz -- suffered. Dozens Injured at Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa Concert, The 25 Defining Works of the Black Renaissance. Bring on the Shiplap? Caleb was killed when his raft became airborne over the slide's 50-foot hump and collided with a metal bar supporting the safety net. When he was in meetings, he pulled off his boots and propped his bare feet up on the table. You really dont know.. Something more has to be done. There are so many questions remaining about the rides construction. Caleb Schwab died in front of his family while riding a 168ft-high water slide in Kansas, billed as the world's tallest. Some states have agencies that inspect water parks; others rely on the parks own insurance companies to do inspections. He gave river tours, and he operated a petting zoo. The Travel Channel crew asked Jeff why the slide was not working. At the top of the platform, they were weighed again and placed in a raft. I get up every day and think about all the great people who work at Schlitterbahn, he said. The quiet, efficient Gary oversaw the parks buildings and finances; Jana handled the marketing; and Jeff was in charge of the attractions. The safety harnesses are also raising questions. All Rights Reserved. The other is James 4:14. A humid breeze presses down on the dead summer grass. Mum Michelle told the show about her eldest son's screams of terror after the fatal accident. By Timothy Bella. They both suffered minor cuts and scrapes on their face in the incident. If the total weight of the three riders was between 400 and 550 pounds, they were sent up the stairs. When Caleb reached the top of the platform, he could see the sprawl of Kansas City, including the downtown skyline, some sixteen miles away. You don't want to go any further'.". For what is your life? A pair of black tights are a necessity, rather than just an accessory, to stay stylish and comfortable when temperatures drop. What happened. I get fired up to come to work and take care of those customers.. Since then, several witnesses have recalled the tragedy, but now the boy's father is breaking his silence. As a boy, he was the classic river rat, a Huck Finn in cutoff shorts who spent almost all his free time on the Comal. She was also a member of local gang which was known as "The Drapes". Plus, Jeff always surrounded himself with other knowledgeable people who were able to do the numbers work that he wasnt inclined to do.. "His friend was screaming for help and I think that's when staff members and medics and stuff started running.". Schlitterbahn opened in 1979, drawing approximately five thousand visitors in its first season (the park is open full-time only from Memorial Day until Labor Day). (WFLA) The theme park with one of the most gruesome accidents in U.S. History is once again open for business. What Happened To The Boy On The Water Slide? Riders must be at least 54 inches tall and the group cannot weigh more than a combined total of 400 to 550 pounds, according to the parks website. Our boat one hundred percent went off the tracks, one woman said. During construction, the men had ordered that a net be placed above the chute, propped up every few feet by semicircular poles, to keep people from flying out. Caleb Schwab, the son of a Kansas state legislator, who was killed on a slide at Schlitterbahn water park, died from a neck injury, Kansas City police said. Caleb Schwab, the son of a state lawmaker, sustained a fatal "neck injury" at around 2:30 p.m. while riding the 168-foot-tall " Verruckt Verruckt Verrckt is a German word meaning "insane" or "crazy" and may refer to: Verrckt (water slide), a water slide at Schlitterbahn in Kansas City, Kansas, United States, formerly the tallest in . No one seemed to know, not even Jeff. The sounds of the park belowlaughter and shoutingwere nothing more than a faint murmur. On Sunday, ten-year-old Caleb Schwab died at the Schlitterbahn park in Kansas City while on a 168 foot high slide. The allegation that we operated, and failed to maintain, a ride that could foreseeably cause such a tragic accident is beyond the pale of speculation. By then, developers from around the country who also wanted a Schlitterbahn were regularly approaching the Henry family with proposals. Onlookers prevented Calebs mother from witnessing the scene. The Kanas . To get the project going, a real estate investment trust offered to loan the Henrys $174.3 million. It was as horrible a moment as you could imagine, a person who was there told me. The ride opened anyway, with the weight range unchanged. The others are in Texas: in New Braunfels, South Padre Island, Galveston, and Corpus Christi. Well, man, if I dont ever see you again, its been fun, he said to Schooley, trying to be lighthearted. He sounded utterly distraught. Tests were showing that the rafts were going too fast and the g-forces were so powerful that passengers might pass out. The people that have a spark of genius dont necessarily need college. As her friends recalled Carolyn looked elder than her age. The deal was announced in 2005, but because of a drawn-out construction process, as well as the economic downturn of 2008, the venture had to be scaled back significantly, with no hotels, no homes, and little retail. The hoop sliced into his neck, and he was instantly decapitated. The Henrys made no public comment. We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. ), Its a tragedy, Jeff told me. In the water park business, Jeff was considered a genius of sortsan out of the box visionary of waterpark designs, wrote Tim OBrien in his 2006 book Legends: Pioneers of the Amusement Park Industry. It was like, No, I dont want to do it.. That boat looked like it flew.. The real Jeff Henry was not indicted. Consumed with hubris, they were determined to be known as the creators of the tallest and fastest ride in all of water park history. Over the next several days, more Schlitterbahn employees rode Verrckt without problems, and on July 10, after thirty months of work, the slide opened to the public. It looked like he must have somehow been ejected from his seat, bounced around between the netting and the slide and just slid down, she told PEOPLE. Behind him were two young womenone 32 years old and the other 25sisters who lived near the Kansas-Nebraska state line. of what decapitated the poor child, the blood pooling at the bottom and where his brother stood. And he was sometimes as obstinate with coworkers as he used to be with his high school teachers. His head and body flew out of the raft and landed on the chute. She said: "He was screaming: 'He flew from Verruckt! | (Photo: Facebook) The Christian family of Republican Kansas state Rep. Scott Schwab attended a worship service just hours before the lawmaker's 10-year-old son, Caleb, was decapitated on the Verrckt slide at the Schlitterbahn When the ride first opened in 2014, co-owner and Verruckt creator Jeff Henry told USA Today: "We had many issues on the engineering side. Today, August 7, is the fifth anniversary of his horrific death in August 2016. The family had strong ties in the city, including at the LifeMission Church on South Lone . On a 25-acre piece of property that the Henrys bought, three blocks east of the main park, he erected two rides that he had co-created with a former surfer turned inventor named Tom Lochtefeld. He bought a piece of property next door to the Landa, built a sixty-foot replica of a German castle (to reflect New Braunfelss heritage), and had four blue fiberglass waterslides erected around the castle. But there is nothing in the law that requires the inspector to have any particular certifications. Those were added later. I was hired as an admissions cashiertaking payment and . She added how when she tried to see what had happened to her son, a man stopped her from going any further. The case is being investigated as a civil rather than criminal matter, yet details are vague and authorities have disclosed little information about what caused the tragic accident. We owe it to this childs family, said Nancy Cowles, executive director of Kids in Danger, a nonprofit that works to improve safety related to childrens products. Was the wind a factor? It broke the Guinness World Record for tallest water slide. his wife, Billye, that he was tired of city life. This past spring, Kansas City prosecutors began meeting with a grand jury, and in late March, the jury issued indictments. Last year a bank in Corpus Christi that held roughly $32 million in debt on that citys Schlitterbahn took ownership of the park, after plans for an attached resort quintupled in size and the projects costs ballooned, eventually forcing the property into foreclosure. Had something gone wrong with the cannon nozzle that shot the raft up the second hill? Due to the uneven weight distribution, their raft went airborne which impacted the . After Calebs death, advocates urged officials to step in to change how the amusement park industry is run. If we mess up, it could be the end. One is a line from John 3:16. (In 1994 he pleaded guilty to third-degree felony drug possession after he was caught with seventeen ounces of marijuana.) As his raft passed the second hump, it soared up the ridge, causing the metal support of the netting to break off and decapitate him. Riders were held in by nothing more than Velcro straps. The two sisters who had ridden behind Caleb, both of whom suffered facial injuries, also received a settlement, of an undisclosed amount. How is that possible?, Jeff said that soon after Verrckt was up and running, he had left Kansas City to do some work on a Schlitterbahn park in Corpus Christi, which had opened in 2014, and he had never gone back. I thought we had designed the biggest, baddest thing ever built, a ride that could operate safely and never have a serious accident, ever, if things were complied with and if the thing was maintained and operated as designed. This is the best life I could ever imagine., Jeff was so busy with his own projects that he barely had time to go to New Braunfels High School, and when he did, he often showed up for class barefoot. You read it quietly and are reminded again that Caleb Schwab should still be here. Aug. 18 2016, Updated 8:24 a.m. It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes . When they reached the runout pool, the three men in the raft shouted and pumped their fists in the air. And he saw before anyone else what we could do in New Braunfels.. Courtesy of Schlitterbahn Waterparks and Resorts; Retouching: Will Herwig, AP Photo/The Kansas City Star, Jill Toyoshiba, A half century earlier, in 1966, a Houston accountant named Bob Henry told. Gary and Jana agreed that Jeff should proceed with Verrckt. Verrckt ( German meaning "crazy" or "insane", listen) was a water slide located at the Schlitterbahn Kansas City water park in Kansas City, Kansas, United States. He was found dead at the . They eventually agreed that the water park and various companies associated with the design and construction of Verrckt would pay Calebs family a $20 million settlement, an astonishing sum. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. A half century earlier, in 1966, a Houston accountant named Bob Henry toldhis wife, Billye, that he was tired of city life. She was born in 1940 and died in 1954. Century-old cedar, oak, and cypress trees were scattered throughout the camp. After high school, Jeff opened a video arcade bar in San Marcos that he called the Too Bitter Bar, the walls of which contained painted murals of moons, watermelons, lips, and bananas. Finally, in June 2014, after several successful sandbag runs, they decided it was time for humans to ride it. He swam, fished, canoed, rafted, and hunted for turtles. If the completed ride still didnt meet his expectations, hed tear it down and start over. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. By 1990 Schlitterbahn had become a sensation, drawing nearly 500,000 people a year. But prosecutors could tell the jury that Jeff and Schooley knew very well that Verrckt could lead to a catastrophe, yet they continued to push forward. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital Investigators and detectives from the Kansas City Police Department, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, and the Kansas attorney generals office also arrived at Schlitterbahn. Article continues below advertisement Industry veterans nicknamed him the Lord of the Slides and the Wizard of Wet. Schlitterbahn, meanwhile, is reeling. It still wasnt working, he said. Scott and Michelle Schwab have spoken out for the first time about the tragic death of their son Caleb. No comment, Jeff said. The Schwab family may also file a personal injury claim on behalf of Caleb. Sensing opportunity, the Henrys opened a Schlitterbahn in South Padre Island, in 2001. Over two years after 10-year-old Caleb Schwab lost his life on the tallest waterslide in the world, the amusement park industry has yet to fully reckon with the tragedy. He said that he was never told about the eleven injuries on Verrckt prior to Calebs death, nor was he told about the 2016 maintenance problems. Some Bahnophiles spend every summer weekend, or even entire vacations, at a Schlitterbahn. . Until it went horribly wrong. Police launched an investigation. That day, Schlitterbahn was offering free admission to Kansas elected officials and their families, along with a buffet lunch, and the Schwabs, who lived in the town of Olathe, southwest of Kansas City, were thrilled. ), Man, are they hitting that net up there? Its sort of beautiful, isnt it? she said. Kansas City Police said Caleb, the son of a. Miles, then the operations director, hid or destroyed documents detailing injuries sustained by riders . How do you indict someone for murder if you dont know what happened? he asked at one point. . The child was riding on the Verruckt water slide when he died. The other is James 4:14. I recently drove to the original Schlitterbahn, in New Braunfels. But instead of staying in its fiberglass flume and cresting the hill, the raft flew up into the air. 2 It was reported that the boy died on the world's tallest water slide in Kansas. But it didn't, so I worked there. Schlitterbahn initially seemed to be policing itself just fine. He stepped into the front of the raft, and an employee secured him to his seat with a Velcro belt and a shoulder strap. I remember hearing about the accident on the news and thought that the park was going to shut down. (After he had created the 135-foot Insano, a Brazilian company built a body slide that was just under 164 feet.) According to Wikipedia, Caleb Schwab's cause of death was internal decapitation. If any raft had left the surface, that ride should have been shut down, and I would have gone straight there to figure out what was wrong, he said. http://wx.wfla.com/oembed/email/noon_signup.html. The late Caleb Schwab, 10 (2nd Right), is pictured with his brothers, father, Republican Kansas state Rep. Scott Schwab, and mother, Michele. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. As they watched one raft crest the hill, Jeff turned to Schooley and said, Man, are they hitting that net up there? Passengers board a three-person raft and experience a 17-story drop before being blasted back up a second massive hill to drop down another 50ft. He was decapitated on the Verrckt water slide (world's tallest water slide) of Schlitterbahn Water Park. To attract more customers, Bob erected two slides that dumped guests into the Comal. 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Caleb Schwab died six years ago in the tragedy at Schlitterbahn Park, in Kansas, on a water slide called Verruckt, which means crazy in German. As he told Legends author OBrien, he relied on trial and error, because no models of what was supposed to be done existed at the time. Sometimes hed change his mind about a ride as he was building it and redesign it on the spot. Witnesses claimed he went down the first drop, then flew out and hit netting enclosing the ride. Caleb Schwab died in front of his family while riding a 168ft-high water . Bearded and scruffy, he almost always wore a dirty, creased ball cap, an old fishing shirt, shorts, and muddy boots. Three riders inside a rubber raft would plummet down a nearly vertical seventeen-story drop at speeds reaching up to 68 miles per hour. Waiting for Caleb at the bottom of Verrckt was one of his brothers, along with numerous spectators. Since the ride was torn down, former employees have alleged that both ride inspections and staff training were inadequate. Something went wrong, please try again later. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Some new details in the Caleb Schwab death are emerging with a witness giving her account of how the 10-year-old boy was killed on a water slide at Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City, Kansas on Sunday. Schlitterbahn co-owner, Jeff Henry, reportedly said that there were engineering challenges behind the design with calculations originally based on roller coasters rather than water slides, according to USA Today. Something clicked in my head, and I just realized the time had come to do it, he told me later. But at least one of the men was clearly nervous. He was smart, and he joined the debate team, but he didnt turn in his homework and refused to take tests, telling his teachers that tests were a waste of time. Sometimes I cant get out of bed for four days., He had decided to talk to me, he said, so that people would understand he had done nothing wrong. It was. A boy who was decapitated on a water slide is remembered five years on as witness accounts resurface about the mum having to be held back from seeing the horrific scene. The two men were approached by producers from the Travel Channel who said they were looking for an episode to lead off the new season of their popular TV series, This was news to everyone, even at Schlitterbahn. (Schlitterbahn continues to manage the park. There is no single federal agency responsible for enforcing rules and regulations at Schlitterbahn, which is monitored by the states Department of Labor. Caleb Schwab Death: Source Reveals Horrific Details of Boy's Water Slide Accident By Associated Press Nationwide PUBLISHED 4:32 PM ET Aug. 10, 2016 KANSAS CITY, Kan. A 10-year-old boy was decapitated as he rode a 168-foot tall waterslide at a water park in Kansas, a person familiar with the investigation said Wednesday. Even those werent enough to save 10-year-old Caleb Schwab, who was decapitated. When the case goes to trial, which isnt likely to happen for at least another year, Jeffs and Schooleys attorneys might use that very argument: that the employees who operated Verrckt made mistakes, such as ignoring maintenance problems, and that Henry and Schooley knew nothing about it. "The death of [Caleb Schwab] appeared at first to be an isolated and unforeseeable incident until whistleblowers from within Schlitterbahn's own ranks came forward and revealed that Schlitterbahn officials had . It was faked. From left: Jeff Henry with his father, Bob, mother, Billye, and siblings, Jana and Gary. He devised a complicated artificial river system that moved tubers from one major slide to the next so they would rarely need to leave the water to stand in line. In five of the incidents, riders claimed they were injured while their rafts were still in the chute. Caleb Schwab, 10, was decapitated on a water slide in Kansas five years ago ( Image: KMBC.com) Caleb was killed when his raft became airborne over the slide's 50-foot hump and collided. The first was the Boogie Bahn, which allowed riders to actually surf on boogie boards over a thin, fast-flowing sheet of water that shot over a sloped surface. Calebs parents, Republican state Rep. Scott Schwab and his wife, Michele said in a statement Sunday: Since the day he was born, [Caleb] brought abundant joy to our family and all those he came in contact with. A memorial service is planned for Friday, according to ABC 7 News. In 1989, at a water park in Brazil, he created a 135-foot-high slide, called Insano, that at the time was the worlds tallest. There was no age restrictiononly the height requirementso kids joined the line. People got in line to ride Verrckt. In subsequent seasons, he built the Cliffhanger Tube Chute, the Tunnel Tube Chute, and the 45-minute-long Raging River Tube Chute. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Despite all his success, Jeff remained, at heart, a river rat. The plans would eventually call for hotels, rental cabins, hundreds of thousands of square feet of retail outlets, and a residential area surrounding the park. Soon, reporters from an array of media outlets, This 1981 Photo Essay Captured Why Being an Aggie Is Not at All Funny, The Legend of Old Rip Was Pretty Unbelievable, How Florence ButtNot Her SonLaunched the H-E-B Empire. A source familiar with the investigation into the boy's death told the Associated Press that Caleb was decapitated. Jana, the youngest, would attend what was then known as Southwest Texas State University, in nearby San Marcos, and major in fashion merchandising. (By this time, Bob had handed off the company to his three children, giving each of them a third of the voting shares.) Tell Jeff were going to let him graduate so that he no longer has to come back to school.. 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