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

[MaryG12]

That article on Schlitterbahn's Verruckt at Grantland was very good. Yes, it delved into the so-called "ride engineers" of Verruckt, neither who held a college degree in ride physics nor design, something I considered to be very important. Obviously neither were really qualified to build that Verruckt slide.

Unlike the "land" amusement park rides which are made of metal (usually) and utilize electricity of some kind to operate, a water ride can never use electricity to operate (water (conductor) + electricity = electrocution (death usually).)

Here is an interesting article about water ride engineering although it makes a poor comparion of a pool slide to a water ride; the old-fashioned pool slides of decades ago did NOT have water being shot onto the surface of the slide; rather, the slide itself was dry, made of heavy-duty plastic. This article explains the "mechanics" of how amusement park water rides work:

The Physics Behind Waterslides

Worthwhile reading.

 

[Jax49]

Kansas water park to tear down slide 2 years after boy's beheading

The Kansas waterslide on which a 10-year-old boy was decapitated two years ago will be demolished later this year, officials announced Thursday.

The Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City had made arrangements for the 17-story Verrückt slide to be pulled down after Labor Day, Fox 4 KC reported. The demolition is expected to be completed in approximately three weeks.

 

[gregjrichards]

Kansas water park to tear down slide 2 years after boy's beheading

Thank you for posting this. I’m glad it is finally being torn down it must be a constant reminder in the community.

 

[neesaki]

I get a horrible feeling everytime I see that huge monstrosity, thank goodness they're finally taking it down. I wonder if they should douse it with Holy Water before they start, and for themselves a good sprinkling. I think I would.

 

[AdorableOrca96]

Thank you for posting this. I’m glad it is finally being torn down it must be a constant reminder in the community.

It really is. It was a beautiful sight at night when it was all lit up, but now it’s just.. really dark and sad.

 

[Wyle_E_Coyote]

https://www.texasmonthly.com/news/jeff-henry-verruckt-schlitterbahns-tragic-slide/

 

[Wyle_E_Coyote]

Why the indictment against the water park itself was dropped...
A status hearing Wednesday afternoon in Wyandotte County District Court revealed the grand jury that indicated several people and companies connected to the 2016 incident indicted a wrong entity.
-snip-
Prosecutors will have to re-convene the grand jury and request a new indictment.
New trial date will be set in Schlitterbahn criminal case

Defendants in Schlitterbahn murder case want separate trials

Authorities allege that Hughes and Zalsman told agents with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation that the brake mat was never on the ride after Verrückt opened in 2014. However, a rider’s GoPro camera showed the brake mat was in place on June 10, 2016, 18 days before it allegedly fell off, according to the indictment.
2 workers indicted in Kansas City water park death

And as a refresher...
10 key allegations in the Schlitterbahn indictment

It’s believed the pair conducted trials at night to avoid scrutiny after reporters began asking questions about whether the ride was safe.
A damning 47-page report shows what happened before Caleb died

 

[gregjrichards]

Whenever he did interviews for the TV show, Jeff seemed obsessed with Verrückt, as if it were his white whale. “Verrückt could hurt me; it could kill me. It is a seriously dangerous piece of equipment today because there are things that we don’t know about it,” he said at one point. “If we mess up, it could be the end. I could die going down this ride.”

https://www.texasmonthly.com/news/jeff-henry-verruckt-schlitterbahns-tragic-slide/

This could come back to haunt him in court.

 

[KaaBoom]

Why the indictment against the water park itself was dropped...
A status hearing Wednesday afternoon in Wyandotte County District Court revealed the grand jury that indicated several people and companies connected to the 2016 incident indicted a wrong entity.
-snip-
Prosecutors will have to re-convene the grand jury and request a new indictment.
New trial date will be set in Schlitterbahn criminal case

That is an incredible blunder. Many years ago, I helped somebody who wanted to file a small claims suit against a business. He knew who owned the business, but he didn't know the owner's name. So I took him to the courthouse and we asked to see the business license. This was the days before the internet. They pulled it up on microfilm, and there was the owners name, so we copied it down. John Doe DBA ABC Company. Then he filed the small claims suit. The case was not successful, but at least we got the defendants name correct. I can't believe the prosecutor in this case couldn't do the same thing.

 

[JerseyGirl]

2 Years After Boy's Decapitation on World's Tallest Waterslide, Trial Looms as Ride Still Stands

 

[will4u]

2 Years After Boy's Decapitation on World's Tallest Waterslide, Trial Looms as Ride Still Stands

i won't be surprised if its still standing there in 2 more years from now,

the park just sees it as a huge expense to take it down, they will let it sit there and rot for as long as possible,

having it standing there doesn't seem to be hurting their business at all, so why bother?

 

[JerseyGirl]

Schlitterbahn trial focuses on faulty brake mat

A jury on Tuesday heard opening statements and witness testimony in the trial against two former Schlitterbahn Waterpark employees who are charged with giving false information to investigators.

The allegations center on a brake mat that was apparently missing from the Verruckt water slide the day 10-year-old Caleb Schwab died in August 2016.

Investigators said David Hughes and John Zalsman told them the brake mat was only used during the testing phase of the slide.

 

[gregjrichards]

Is the monstrosity still standing? I wondered if a jury might prefer to see it first hand to understand it better if possible.

 

[MaryG12]

2 workers acquitted in Kansas boy's waterslide death

The article does not mention where on the slide the brake mat was placed when it was there.

 

[MaryG12]

Whenever he did interviews for the TV show, Jeff seemed obsessed with Verrückt, as if it were his white whale. “Verrückt could hurt me; it could kill me. It is a seriously dangerous piece of equipment today because there are things that we don’t know about it,” he said at one point. “If we mess up, it could be the end. I could die going down this ride.”

https://www.texasmonthly.com/news/jeff-henry-verruckt-schlitterbahns-tragic-slide/

This could come back to haunt him in court.

Great article, thank you for posting, and it sounds like Jeff's ego got in the way when he decided to create Verrückt. It's not as if the people were going down a dry slide into a pool, which is pretty much what the purpose of pool slides are for.

 

[MaryG12]

Found a really interesting article on the safety of water slides compared to roller coasters:

Terrified of rollercoasters? More accidents happen on water slides, state data shows

 

[KaaBoom]

2 workers acquitted in Kansas boy's waterslide death

The article does not mention where on the slide the brake mat was placed when it was there.

"These are just two good old boys, they're hard working guys and because they're the only two adults in the room they get singled out and have to get charged ," said Scott Toth, defense attorney for Hughes, as he addressed jurors.

Just two good old boys. I guess in that part of the country that is all you have to say to get someone acquitted.

 

[AdorableOrca96]

Is the monstrosity still standing? I wondered if a jury might prefer to see it first hand to understand it better if possible.

I haven't driven on 435 North recently, but as far as I'm aware it's still standing.

 

[angelainwi]

Schlitterbahn co-owner Jeff Henry has been charged in Johnson County with possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, buying sex and other criminal counts.

More trouble for Schlitterbahn’s Jeff Henry: new criminal sex, drug charges in JoCo

 

[AmyPond]

At the top of that link...there's video of the death slide finally being dismantled.