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

[neesaki]

Not sure if anything new but thought I'd post anyway. I have hope these people won't get away with their criminally negligent actions. JMO

http://time.com/5216901/schlitterbahn-kansas-water-slide-death/

 

[atm9533]

I agree, it needs to come down. drove by there yesterday. its such a sand reminder.

 

[gregjrichards]

Given that he's made public statements about the possibility of dying on it (with regards to himself), not to mention the whole lack of credentials, and ignoring warnings, I think they should be able to get a conviction. Depends on what degree they charge him with.

And I wouldn't be surprised if they have emails from him directing the Kansas guy to bury injury reports, keep all boats in the rotation, no repairs until end of the season...

The assault and endangerment... They could charge him with a count for every individual that ever went down that deathtrap.

ETA. And if they paid off any of the people who were injured and included a non-disclosure, that would do it as well.

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I appreciate your reply. I hope they are found guilty on all charges. Knowingly keeping the ride open endangering the safety of the public and your staff for money is truly despicable, disgusting and unforgivable.

I agree, it needs to come down. drove by there yesterday. its such a sand reminder.

It might be a good thing it is still up just in case jurors want to see it so they can get a real sense of how dangerous, reckless and stupid the ride is. But I can fully appreciate how distressing it must be for people in the state driving by knowing what happened there.

 

[Wyle_E_Coyote]

Not sure if anything new but thought I'd post anyway. I have hope these people won't get away with their criminally negligent actions. JMO

http://time.com/5216901/schlitterbahn-kansas-water-slide-death/

New stuff... First we've heard of Schooley being charged and more details on the charges.

The Kansas attorney general’s office said Jeffrey Henry, 62, co-owner of Texas-based Schlitterbahn Waterparks and Resorts, and designer John Schooley were charged with reckless second-degree murder in the death of Caleb Schwab on the 17-story ride Verruckt, a German word for insane. The indictment also charges them with injuries to 13 other people on the slide. Second-degree murder carries a sentence of 9 years to 41 years.

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[Wyle_E_Coyote]

I appreciate your reply. I hope they are found guilty on all charges. Knowingly keeping the ride open endangering the safety of the public and your staff for money is truly despicable, disgusting and unforgivable.



It might be a good thing it is still up just in case jurors want to see it so they can get a real sense of how dangerous, reckless and stupid the ride is. But I can fully appreciate how distressing it must be for people in the state driving by knowing what happened there.

Gee... just seeing it might not be enough. Maybe the jury ought to be offered the chance to ride it. [emoji56]

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[BooBooTheFool]

Employees were required to take three test rides down the waterslide. Many days, Campbell says, no one volunteered, but someone had to do it. [...] >>snip

Campbell’s day came and would be the only time he would take the plunge on Verrückt.

“The first two times, it was good, nothing really happened,” Campbell said. “The third time they took one of the other lifeguards off so it was too less of weight. And at the very end we just kept going, didn’t stop. Hit the wall and flipped over.”

Campbell says after his crash, he had to go home because of a back injury, which took a while to heal, but Campbell eventually went back to work at Schlitterbahn. There was never a report written about his injury.

http://fox4kc.com/2018/03/25/former...ells-fox4-he-didnt-feel-safe-riding-verruckt/

>>snip

bbm
WOW

Glad to see they charged Schooley and Henry too, I figured it was coming after they got a look at what Miles was trying to hide and charged him.

 

[jjenny]

Gee... just seeing it might not be enough. Maybe the jury ought to be offered the chance to ride it. [emoji56]

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Better have a whole lot of alternates then.

 

[pickless]

Do you think he will be convicted of murder?

no way in hell they will be found guilty of first degree, prosecutors are crazy to even go for that, if they stick with that, they will be found not guilty, then its all over,

why not drop it down a few notches and go for a sure thing like involuntary manslaughter or something?

 

[jjenny]

no way in hell they will be found guilty of first degree, prosecutors are crazy to even go for that, if they stick with that, they will be found not guilty, then its all over,

why not drop it down a few notches and go for a sure thing like involuntary manslaughter or something?

They are not charged with first degree.

 

[beatrixpotter]

no way in hell they will be found guilty of first degree, prosecutors are crazy to even go for that, if they stick with that, they will be found not guilty, then its all over,

why not drop it down a few notches and go for a sure thing like involuntary manslaughter or something?

"The Kansas attorney general’s office said Jeffrey Henry, 62, co-owner of Texas-based Schlitterbahn Waterparks and Resorts, and designer John Schooley were charged with reckless second-degree murder in the death of Caleb Schwab on the 17-story ride Verruckt, a German word for insane. The indictment also charges them with injuries to 13 other people on the slide. Second-degree murder carries a sentence of 9 years to 41 years."

 

[pickless]

"The Kansas attorney general’s office said Jeffrey Henry, 62, co-owner of Texas-based Schlitterbahn Waterparks and Resorts, and designer John Schooley were charged with reckless second-degree murder in the death of Caleb Schwab on the 17-story ride Verruckt, a German word for insane. The indictment also charges them with injuries to 13 other people on the slide. Second-degree murder carries a sentence of 9 years to 41 years."

they won't even get a second degree conviction, not a chance

 

[Jax49]

http://statelaws.findlaw.com/kansas-law/kansas-second-degree-murder.html

• 2nd degree murder -- Unintentionally but recklessly under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to the value of human life

BBM - IANAL but it seems they might get a conviction.

 

[beatrixpotter]

I think it looks pretty darn bad for them and I don't think it's a given there is not a chance they won't get a 2nd degree conviction. If what we are hearing now is presented to a jury I don't think a jury will be that sympathetic to them. I think anyone who goes to an amusement park assumes that the park has used actual engineers and followed basic safety standards for any ride let alone something like this one. That they couldn't be bothered to do that and clearly rushed this ride through and then disregarded all injuries sure looks like extreme indifference to ME. They can't pretend to be unaware of any of this information.

 

[Wyle_E_Coyote]

http://statelaws.findlaw.com/kansas-law/kansas-second-degree-murder.html

• 2nd degree murder -- Unintentionally but recklessly under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to the value of human life

BBM - IANAL but it seems they might get a conviction.

Sounds like the correct charge to me. I think they'll be convicted.

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[gregjrichards]

Sounds like the correct charge to me. I think they'll be convicted.

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Covering up serious injuries and doing nothing about the ride's safety is definitely reckless and not difficult for the prosecutor to establish.

I wonder if the park owner etc allowed their loved ones to go on the slide or if it was just the employees and paying public they showed a blatant disregard for.

 

[PrairieWind]

they won't even get a second degree conviction, not a chance

I don't think prosecutors would bring those charges if they didn't think they could get convictions.

 

[jjenny]

"U.S. officials are searching outside the country for the designer of the world's tallest waterslide, who was indicted on murder charges stemming from the 2016 death of a 10-year-old boy in a Kansas water park."

http://abcnews.go.com/US/designer-waterside-killed-10-year-boy-wanted-us/story?id=54120743

 

[Jax49]

[h=1]Designer of waterslide that killed boy intends to surrender to officials, lawyer says[/h]
http://abcnews.go.com/US/designer-w...-surrender-officials-lawyer/story?id=54120743

The designer of the world's tallest waterslide, who was indicted on charges stemming from the 2016 death of a 10-year-old boy at a Kansas water park, will return to the U.S. and surrender to officials, his lawyer told ABC News.

John Schooley designed the Verruckt waterslide with his business partner, Jeffrey Henry, who is the co-owner of the Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City. Both men have been indicted by the Wyandotte County grand jury with second-degree murder and multiple counts of aggravated battery and aggravated endangering a child.

 

[Jax49]

Kansas indictments highlight lax state rules on water parks


https://www.wpxi.com/news/pennsylva...tments-highlight-patchwork-of-rules/723832392

Ken Martin remembers a Travel Channel episode about the world's tallest waterslide. The Richmond, Virginia-based amusement-park safety expert said he was horrified that test sandbags flew off the ride and that nylon straps with Velcro restrained multiple riders on rafts dropping 17 stories at up to 70 miles per hour.

"I am sitting on my couch and I am thinking, 'Oh my God. What are these people thinking?'" Martin recalled in an interview. "I started praying for anyone who got on that ride."

bbm

 

[Betty P]

Kansas indictments highlight lax state rules on water parks


https://www.wpxi.com/news/pennsylva...tments-highlight-patchwork-of-rules/723832392



bbm

Instead of making stronger safety regulations, Kansas lawmakers only seem to be making them weaker

When Verruckt was built, Kansas had lax regulations and Martin - whose company is certified to inspect rides in four states - said the state still has weak oversight. Caleb was the son of Kansas state Rep. Scott Schwab, a Republican from the Kansas City suburb of Olathe, and lawmakers passed a law last year requiring annual checks by qualified outside inspectors. But it allows park employees to do daily inspections through the season. On Wednesday, the Kansas House approved a bill to weaken the rules for rides at short-term annual fairs and events such as hayrack rides to allay the misgivings of rural legislators.

I wonder how Caleb's dad voted on that legislation?