A 10-year-old boy died while riding the Verrückt water slide at Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City Sunday, the Kansas City Star reports. The 17-story water slide has been billed as the tallest in the world.
The boy has been identified as Caleb Schwab, the son of Kansas Rep. Scott Schwab and his wife, Michele. Investigators are currently unclear as to what caused Schwab’s death.
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“We are saddened to share that a young boy died on Verrückt this afternoon,” park spokesperson Pam Renteria said in a statement posted on the park’s website. “Given that safety is our first priority, we have closed the Kansas City park today and Monday and have closed the ride pending a full investigation. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time.”
Riders on the Verrückt are supposed to be at least 54 inches tall, and the combined weight of riders per raft must be between 400 and 550 pounds. Riders sit three-person rafts and are weighed at the bottom of the ride’s tower and again at the top.
“We honestly don’t know what’s happened,” said park spokesperson Winter Prosapio. “That’s why a full investigation is necessary. We have to understand what’s happened. The Fire Department, of course, is here. (An) outside, inside investigation will be underway, and it will be a complete one. … To be honest, this is not something we’ve experienced.”
This story first appeared at Womanista.
