KS - Caleb Schwab, 10, dies on 17-story Schlitterbahn waterpark slide, Aug 2016

[MzOpinion8d]

Are y'all sure that this is a 17 story drop?

The picture doesn't seem that high. Jmo. I grew up in high rise apartments that went up to 40 floors. But 17 stories is still very very high.

That raft should have the bars that goes over your shoulders. Jmo. Especially for a skinny kid.

But I guess that kids smaller than him has been on the ride before.

So maybe it was the maintenance issues that took place on that particular day.

Idk.

But 17 stories is way tooo high for a drop like that in a raft that goes back up half ways to come back down with small young ones on board like that. Jmo

It's definitely that tall. I've driven past it many times, including today. All I could think is "there's the Death Slide".

 

[jjenny]

I wonder if there was a typo... 275 when it should be 175? That would make the discrepancy more reasonable.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

Police say weight within limits. It adds up to five lb below maximum. My guess is the women were actually heavier than whatever weight was on their driver's license?

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/police-weights-in-caleb-schwab-kansas-water-slide-death-within-limits/

 

[jjenny]

So, cause #1: They were underweight. I'm still waiting for the rest of them, because there will be more. IMO, they probably went airborne due to being underweight. Which would have increased the chance of the already flimsy Velcro straps to not hold. Whatever the other causes, they will probably have something to do with the plethora of "glitches". Apparently the owners became impatient at some point, and made the choice to just ignore or gloss over them. I guess the opening of their Insane Ride was their top priority, versus innocent human lives.

So now that the inevitable tragedy has occurred, I really hope they'll have a conscience and show some integrity and accept responsibility for causing the loss of this young boys life. I guess we will see.

They weren't underweight per police. 5 lb below max. I don't think the boat went airborne. I think only the child went airborne because his straps failed.

 

[jjenny]

I had velcro straps on my shoes once. They worked perfectly fine when wet.

Well, if they told you to hold on your velcro strap of 17 story building, would you do it? It might be fine on shoes, but not as restraints where your life depends on it.

 

[MzOpinion8d]

I wanted to mention that I have ridden water rides where Velcro straps are used for restraint. The "Lost River of the Ozarks" and the "Fury of the Nile" at Silver Dollar City and Worlds of Fun are rides where you are in a big circular boat and it's basically like white water rafting, the boat bumps up and down along a winding path of water and you get splashed.

It goes at fairly low speeds so the restraints don't meet much resistance most of the time. The main safety concern on these rides is drowning, so Velcro makes sense.

So Velcro can be used and works well in some circumstances, but in this case, the physics of the ride created a much different need for restraint, and Velcro clearly wasn't the best choice.

 

[neesaki]

Police say weight within limits. It adds up to five lb below maximum. My guess is the women were actually heavier than whatever weight was on their driver's license?

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/police-weights-in-caleb-schwab-kansas-water-slide-death-within-limits/

Why am I surprised about that, Haha.

 

[Jax49]

Why am I surprised about that, Haha.

Totally off topic. I had to file a police report a couple years ago. The officer asked for my weight, I gave it. Twice more during the process he asked for the same info. I finally said "what is the deal with the weight?" His answer: He had never had a woman give a weight he thought was accurate. LOL.

 

[DexterMorgan]

167 feet, 10 feet per story, so they rounded up but, yes, it's up there. Here's a link with a video that starts with a view from the top. 😨

http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article95562432.html

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

Idk. I looked at the video and that ride has 7 flights of stairs. So I guess walking up the stairs to the 17th floor in a high rise apartment building is much higher.

Jmo.

So idk.

 

[Jax49]

[video=youtube;sWd8QcjRubA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWd8QcjRubA[/video]

From the day before it opened. How many steps, height, etc.

 

[Wyle_E_Coyote]

Totally off topic. I had to file a police report a couple years ago. The officer asked for my weight, I gave it. Twice more during the process he asked for the same info. I finally said "what is the deal with the weight?" His answer: He had never had a woman give a weight he thought was accurate. LOL.

I always ask if they want my real weight or my Internet weight. [emoji56]

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[Wyle_E_Coyote]

Here's the Guinness article on the Verruckt. Some good pics in it.

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com...ckt-the-worlds-new-tallest-water-slide-57097/

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[redheadedgal]

Idk. I looked at the video and that ride has 7 flights of stairs. So I guess walking up the stairs to the 17th floor in a high rise apartment building is much higher.

So idk.

the stairs go up on two sides of the tower. i count 12-13 flights of stairs plus the steps to get on. seems about right.

 

[Madeleine74]

Police say weight within limits. It adds up to five lb below maximum. My guess is the women were actually heavier than whatever weight was on their driver's license?

LOL that goes without saying!

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

Father of boy, 10, decapitated on world's tallest water slide says he is looking for answers in first public statement as the two women who were injured on the doomed ride are named

Scott Schwab has thanked supporters 10 days after son Caleb was killed

Said 'words will never convey the appreciation' his family has received

Expressed hope investigation will make sure the tragedy isn't repeated

Horrific tragedy unfolded at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City

Suffered fatal injuries on the 168-foot tall 'Verruckt' ride

Hannah Barnes, 32, and Matraca Baetz, 25, were also injured on the ride

Their attorneys have started their own investigation into what happened


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-injured-doomed-ride-named.html#ixzz4HbDLAlqE

 

[kimi_SFC]

Father of boy, 10, decapitated on world's tallest water slide says he is looking for answers in first public statement as the two women who were injured on the doomed ride are named

Scott Schwab has thanked supporters 10 days after son Caleb was killed

Said 'words will never convey the appreciation' his family has received

Expressed hope investigation will make sure the tragedy isn't repeated

Horrific tragedy unfolded at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City

Suffered fatal injuries on the 168-foot tall 'Verruckt' ride

Hannah Barnes, 32, and Matraca Baetz, 25, were also injured on the ride

Their attorneys have started their own investigation into what happened


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-injured-doomed-ride-named.html#ixzz4HbDLAlqE

:tears:




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[AmyPond]

Idk. I looked at the video and that ride has 7 flights of stairs. So I guess walking up the stairs to the 17th floor in a high rise apartment building is much higher.

Jmo.

So idk.

A "story" is typically 10 feet. It's simple math. If the ride is roughly 170 feet...that makes it 17 "stories."

 

[Hatfield]

They weren't underweight per police. 5 lb below max. I don't think the boat went airborne. I think only the child went airborne because his straps failed.

JMO
I think a combination.
I think the front end of the raft lifted up and shotgunned the boy up into the netting. The back half of the raft may have mostly stayed down because of the girls extra weight in back or maybe only went up a little ways but I think the front end of the raft went up off the chute altogether. Which propelled the boy even further out of his seat.

If anyone has ever been on back of a motorcycle and you hit a bump. The person on back gets more of a jolt and is more likely to be thrown upwards and off the motorcycle. The driver is not impacted as much since center of gravity is in middle.
Same holds true if you are riding double on a bicycle and riding on the handlebars in front.
The raft cresting the hill at the top of the chute is very similar to that experience but in reverse order. The front of the raft would try to go airborn as the hill dropped down away from the raft. The raft is going upward and forward and the hill is dropping down but raft is still trying to go forward and up. The center of gravity of the occupants plays a critical part.

The boy being in front made him take the brundt of the initial action and his weight being light allowed the raft to go upwards and not stay down on the chute. The girls in back probably had enough weight back there to keep the back half of the raft mostly down.

ETA. Made corrections

 

[moonriverfarm]

We won't have to concern ourselves with measuring the height of the ride or trying out those velcro straps, cause this park is toast.

 

[MsArk]

Me either. Who ever came up with the velcro strap idea must be lying in bed right now sweating and short of breath with the fear of what is to come in the future. What a stupid idea all the way around. The first time they saw that raft fly off the ramp in the trials they should have re-designed the whole thing.

I basically said the same thing when this story broke, about the Velcro. Someone promptly told me using a harness type restraint would have prevented easy release to prevent drowning.
Ok... That makes sense but still... Velcro?
And really, IMO, the Velcro was only one of many flaws in this horrible design of a water ride. The entire thing should be dismantled... like now.

 

[JohnPaul]

We won't have to concern ourselves with measuring the height of the ride or trying out those velcro straps, cause this park is toast.

not very likely,

their are accidents and deaths at many parks, and they survive, i can't think of one park that closed due to one single accident,

people will forget in a very short time, but the ride will most likely close, or be replaced with something else