Horror ultimate moments of boy, 10, who was decapitated on world’s tallest water slide
Caleb Schwab, 10, died when he struck a metal support beam after the raft became airborne on the Verruckt water slide at Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City
Tragic Caleb Schwab was just 10-years-old when he was decapitated in front of his family who watched on in horror.
His heartbroken mum Michelle had to be held back from the scene as he died while riding the world’s tallest water slide in 2016.
Caleb, son of Republican lawmaker Scott Schwab, died on the Verruckt attraction at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City.
The 168ft-high Verruckt, which means “insane” in German, was certified as the world’s tallest water slide by Guinness World Records.
It featured multi-person rafts that hurtled down a colossal 168-foot drop at speeds of up to 70mph, before ascending a hill and then plunging 50 feet into a pool.
During the ascent of the ride’s second hill at the water park, the raft went airborne and Caleb struck a metal support beam within the safety netting, resulting in his decapitation. He had made his way to the top of the slide with brother Nathan, 12, moments before.
His heartbroken dad Scott said at the time: “Six went to the park and five came back. Before they took off I said, ‘Brothers stick together’ and [Caleb] said, ‘I know, dad’.”
Nathan was the first to slide down and waited for Caleb at the bottom. Mum Michelle said: “[Nathan] was screaming, ‘He flew from Verrückt, he flew Verrückt.”
She rushed to the scene, but a man blocked her from getting any closer. Scott described his state of shock He recalled asking someone: “I just need to hear you say it. Is my son dead? And he said, ‘Yes, your son is dead.’ It was surreal. I don’t even remember driving home.”
Two other passengers in the same raft, both women, were injured in the incident. One suffered a broken jaw, while the other had a facial bone fracture and needed stitches. Caleb, who weighed just 34kg, was sitting in the front of the raft when it lifted off.
The two women weighed 125kg and 89kg, resulting in an uneven weight distribution in the raft. The total weight was 248kg, which was below the recommended weight of 250kg.
A park worker claimed at the time of the tragedy: “There was a lack of training for employees operating the rides. The only inspections we’ve done is people riding down slides one time, saying ‘it’s fine, you’re good to go for the rest of the day’.”
Disturbing footage from the documentary The Water Slide showed a raft becoming airborne during early tests of the attraction. In one shocking clip, Jeff can be heard saying: “It fell backwards and killed every sand bag in there.”
Following the tragedy, Caleb’s father Scott spoke before his fellow lawmakers about his son’s death, pushing for changes to legislation that had permitted Schlitterbahn to conduct their own ride safety inspections.
The Schwab family secured settlements totalling around $20million with multiple parties, including Schlitterbahn, in early 2017. The financial arrangements with the two other riders hurt in the incident were kept confidential.
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