In 2016, 10-year-old Caleb Schwab died in a horrifying accident while riding what was then the world’s tallest waterslide. But what a witness revealed in the moments after the tragedy made the heartbreaking incident even more disturbing.
On August 7, 2016, Caleb Schwab was visiting the Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City, Kansas, with his family. He and his siblings decided to ride Verrückt, then the world’s tallest waterslide.
It towered nearly 170 feet above the ground and reached speeds of around 70 mph. But what began as a fun family day would end in unimaginable tragedy. During the ride, the raft Caleb was riding became airborne and struck the safety structure above the slide. Caleb suffered fatal injuries.
Caleb’s older brother, Nathan, witnessed the horrifying accident and was later the one who broke the heartbreaking news to their parents. Speaking to ABC News, Caleb’s mother, Michelle, recalled hearing her son scream that Caleb had “flew” from the waterslide attraction.
“There was a gentleman who wouldn’t allow me to come close enough to see what was going on, and he just kept saying, ‘Trust me, you don’t want to go any further’. I kind of knew in my mind that I shouldn’t see it, that I probably don’t want to see it,” she continued.
Caleb Schwab, 10, died in horror accident on ‘world’s largest waterslide’
Caleb’s father, Scott Schwab, later described the moments that followed as surreal. He kept asking whether his son was dead, while a bystander tried to prevent Michelle from seeing what had happened.
“I kind of knew in my mind that I shouldn’t see it,” Michelle added.
The tragedy raised major questions about how the attraction was designed and operated. Investigators later raised serious concerns about the ride, and prosecutors eventually charged its owner and designer. Those charges were later dismissed.
After the horrifying death of Caleb, reports emerged that the 168-foot water slide in Kansas City had faced serious problems before it ever opened.
The ride’s 2014 opening was delayed several times after safety issues were discovered. During testing, rafts were even sent flying off the slide and into the air, prompting additional safety measures before the attraction finally opened.
During an episode of the Travel Channel’s Xtreme Waterparks, viewers got a frightening look at the ride’s construction and early testing. Rafts could be seen flying off a test version of the slide – even though the model was only half the size of the finished attraction.
‘Verrück’ creator admitted they had “issues” on engineering side
During testing, rafts loaded with sandbags were also launched into the air at a section known as the “Hill.” The point stood at least five stories high, leaving riders completely weightless, according to USA Today.
“We had many issues on the engineering side,” Jeff Henry, Verrückt creator and Schlitterbahn co-owner, told USA Today at the time. “A lot of our math was based on roller coasters at first, and that didn’t translate to a water slide like this. No one had ever done anything like this before.”
The “Verrückt” was set to open in May 2014 but didn’t start taking riders until July, according to KMBC 9 reports at the time. Jeff Henry praised the ride before it opened, saying the Verrückt wasn’t a “family ride.”
“It’s dangerous, but it’s a safe dangerous now,” Henry told USA Today at the time. “Schlitterbahn is a family water park, but this isn’t a family ride. It’s for the thrill seekers of the world, people into extreme adventure.”
Witness to fatal accident revealed what she saw
Police shared that Caleb Schwab had died of a “neck injury.” However, later, it became known he had been decapitated. Shortly after, a witness, Kelsey Friedrichsen, revealed haunting details about what had happened.
She told People Magazine that she and her boyfriend were on their way up to the top of the large water slide when they saw a large group gathered in the pool below.
“There was a woman being treated for some kind of injury on her face and head,” Friedrichsen, 27 at the time, said. “That was when my boyfriend said, ‘I think there is someone else.'”
Her boyfriend, Josh Foster, shared that first responders covered Caleb’s body. Meanwhile, two other women who rode in the boat with him suffered minor facial injuries.
“It looked like he must have somehow been ejected from his seat, bounced around between the netting and the slide and just slid down,” Friedrichsen added. “He would have fallen down without the raft. It’s kind of like a tube.”
Rest in peace, Caleb.
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