January 11, 2017 — The family of a 10 year-old boy who died on a water slide in Kansas City has reached an undisclosed settlement with a Texas-based amusement park company.
Schlitterbahn Waterparks and Resorts, which is based near San Antonio, confirmed the settlement and said park owners plan to permanently remove the 168-foot “Verrückt” water slide — the tallest on Earth.
Police said the boy, Caleb Schwab, died of a “fatal neck injury.” However, several witnesses said he was decapitated. The slide never re-opened after his death on August 7.
“In the near future we will be allowed to disclose further specifics regarding the settlement,” said Michael Rader, an attorney for the Schwab family in a written statement.
The boy’s father is Kansas state Rep. Scott Schwab. The family appeared in court today to ask judges to approve a settlement with Schlitterbahn and the manufacturer of the raft Caleb was riding on.
Verrückt was a 17-story waterslide where riders in multi-person rafts dropped at speeds up to 70-mph, followed by a surge up a hump and a 50-foot drop into another pool. Riders had to be 54-inches tall, and they were harnessed into the raft with two Velcro seat-belts.
Two other women on the raft, who were not related to Schwab, both suffered minor cuts and scrapes on their face after the incident.
Kansas is known for light regulation of the amusement park industry, and Sclitterbahn lobbied legislators to ensure it remained responsible for doing its own safety inspections, according to the Houston Chronicle.
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