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Women who were on same raft as 10-year-old boy decapitated on world’s tallest waterslide revealed their injuries
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In August 2016, two women riding the world’s tallest waterslide broke their silence after surviving a horrific accident at Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City, Kansas.
The incident claimed the life of 10-year-old Caleb Schwab, who died of a fatal neck injury while riding the massive Verruckt slide alongside them.
The two riders, identified as Hannah Barnes and Matraca Baetz, were seated in the same multi-person raft as the young boy during the steep 168-foot descent.
Both women suffered severe facial injuries in the crash and required immediate treatment at an area hospital after emergency personnel arrived at the scene.
Through their attorney, Barnes and Baetz released a joint statement expressing their condolences to the boy's family while addressing the physical and emotional trauma of the ordeal. They spoke about their determination to prevent similar safety failures at amusement facilities in the future.
Accident on the Verruckt
The Verruckt, which means "crazy" in German, featured a massive 17-story initial drop followed by a second hill that blasted riders back up before a final 50-foot plunge.
At the time of the incident, park guidelines dictated that riders sit in multi-person rafts with strict combined weight limits between 400 and 550 pounds. Emergency responders arrived to find the young boy dead in a pool at the bottom of the attraction after the raft reached the end of the descent.
Investigators initially treated the fatal event as a civil matter while local officials examined the circumstances surrounding the ride's design and operation.
Schlitterbahn temporarily closed the Kansas City park following the disaster, and the Verruckt slide was immediately taken off-limits before being slated for complete demolition.
Statement from the survivors
The surviving passengers focused heavily on the profound loss suffered by the Schwab family. Their legal representative shared their public message as state authorities and public safety advocates began reviewing inspection records and oversight regulations for commercial water rides.
"Being mothers ourselves, we can only hope that Caleb's family can find some comfort in knowing we are doing everything we know how to do to stop something so tragic from occurring again to any other family," the women stated, per ABC News.
Questions over ride design and safety
The boy was visiting the water park with his parents, Kansas State Representative Scott Schwab and his wife Michele, during an event hosted for elected officials and their families.
In the wake of the loss, his parents asked for privacy as they mourned their child while expressing faith and gratitude for the support offered by their local community.
The incident drew intense scrutiny to the development and testing phase of the Verruckt slide. Prior to its public opening in 2014, the attraction experienced multiple delays due to engineering issues, including early test runs where weighted rafts airborne off the track.