US3 min(s) read
Brother of boy, 10, decapitated on 'World's Tallest Waterslide' had to break tragic news as dad revealed heartbreaking last words
.webp_lli6Ty?tr=cr-74.9.445.380,f-webp,q-70,w-100)
The brother of a 10-year-old boy who was killed on the 'world's tallest waterslide' tragically had to tell their parents what happened.
As previously reported, 10-year-old Caleb Schwab was tragically killed on August 7, 2016, in a gruesome freak accident.
The fatal incident happened while he was on Verrückt, meaning "insane" in German, at the Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City.
The attraction once proudly held the title of the world's tallest waterslide, standing at a breathtaking height of nearly 169 feet, taller than Niagara Falls.
This record-breaking attraction offered daring park visitors the chance to hurtle down a 17-story vertical chute at an astonishing speed of 70 miles per hour.
However, a day at the park turned to tragedy for the family of Caleb Schwab, part of the Schwab family renowned for their involvement in the Kansas House of Representatives as Republican members.
The group had visited on Elected Officials Day, gaining free admission as a courtesy from the park.
Caleb, his 12-year-old brother Nathan, and their two sisters had enjoyed the rides together, heading to try out Verrückt.
Nathan went down the ride first, with Caleb set to take on the slide next. However, the 10-year-old's raft became "airborne", propelling him into the netting above the slide.
Tragically, this collision resulted in Caleb's immediate decapitation, abruptly ending his young life.
Nathan, who'd already completed the slide just before, witnessed the whole horrifying incident and had the harrowing job of telling his parents that Caleb had been fatally hurt, per ABC News.
The boys' mother, Michelle Schwab, said: "[Nathan] was screaming, 'He flew from the Verrückt, he flew from the Verrückt.'"
She added: "There was a gentleman who wouldn’t allow me to come close enough to see what was going on, and he just kept saying, 'Trust me, you don’t want to go any further'. I kind of knew in my mind that I shouldn’t see it, that I probably don’t want to see it."
Caleb's lifeless body floated in the pool of the slide as park staff rushed to help, and emergency services were quickly summoned as the area was cordoned off to shield other park-goers from the distressing scene.
Caleb's father, Scott Schwab, revealed that he kept asking the bystander that shielded his wife from the scene if his son was dead, adding: "It was surreal. I don’t even hardly remember driving home."
He also shared the final words Caleb had spoken to him before embarking on the ride, revealing: "Before they took off I said, ‘Brothers stick together.’ And he said, 'I know dad.'"
After the tragedy, the park said in a statement, per ABC News: "In our five decades of creating a space for families and friends to gather, we have never encountered such a devastating incident. The well-being of our staff and guests remains our utmost priority.
"Ensuring safety has always been our foremost concern. We are dedicated to upholding effective guidelines that enhance the safety of both guests and staff members. Our safety procedures continue to be under review," Schlitterbahn added.
A grand jury brought charges of second-degree murder against Schlitterbahn's co-owner Jeff Henry and senior designer of the slide John Schooley.
After protracted legal battles, the Schwab family received substantial settlements amounting to nearly $20 million from the involved companies, according to court documents.