Boy’s death on water slide sparks claims of problems
KANSAS CITY, Missouri — At least two people who rode in the past year on the same Kansas waterslide on which a 10-year-old boy was killed say Velcro shoulder straps came loose during the raft ride that features a 17-storey drop.
It’s unclear whether the straps on the Verruckt — German for “insane” — played any role in Sunday’s death of Caleb Schwab, son of a Kansas politician.
Police and Schlitterbahn Waterpark have yet to explain how Caleb sustained a fatal neck injury on the 51-metre-high ride, which, the park said Tuesday, would be closed for the rest of the season.
On the two-year-old waterslide certified by Guinness World Records as the world’s tallest, riders sit in multi-person rafts that begin with the steep drop, followed by a surge up a second hill before a 15-metre descent to a finishing pool. Along the way, riders clutch ropes along the inside of the raft.
Riders are harnessed in with two nylon seatbelt-like straps — one that crosses the rider’s lap, the other stretching diagonally across the shoulder. Each strap is held in place by long Velcro strips.
At least two people have come forward, saying the shoulder straps either snapped or popped off during their time on Verruckt.
Paul Oberhauser told local television station KCTV his shoulder restraint “busted loose” on his Verruckt raft July 26. The Nebraska man said he “just held on,” and a video shot by his wife shows the strap loose at the ride’s end. Oberhauser said he reported the matter to park workers.
Kenneth Conrad told WDAF-TV that, during his trip down the waterslide last year with a friend, the friend’s shoulder strap came “completely off.” Conrad’s wife snapped a photo at the end of the ride showing the strap missing, and Conrad didn’t file a complaint with the park.
The park’s spokeswoman didn’t return messages seeking comment on the claims. In a statement, she said “a limited portion” of the park will reopen today.
Each rider on the Verruckt must be at least four-foot-six tall, and the group’s weight is limited to a total of 400 to 550 pounds. Two women riding in Caleb’s group suffered minor facial injuries.
According to rules sent to the media in 2014, riders had to be at least 14, but that requirement is no longer listed on the park’s website.
Officer Cameron Morgan, a police spokesman, said of the incident: “It’s being investigated as a criminal case but we are not saying something criminal happened.”
Caleb’s parents, Republican state Rep. Scott Schwab and his wife, Michele, have requested privacy.