The raft that was carrying 10-year-old Caleb Schwab was 15 pounds underweight at the time of the fatal accident, a police report has confirmed.
Schwab was killed on Aug. 7 when something went wrong during a ride on the Verruckt water slide at Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City. An investigation by the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department revealed that the ride did not meet safety standards leading up to the incident, according to reports obtained by PEOPLE.
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The combined weight of the three passengers riding in the raft was 385 pounds. Ride requirements list the necessary weight as 400-550 pounds.
Schwab was in the raft with two women who were sisters. The two of them sustained facial fractures during the accident, one ending up with a broken jaw and the other a broken bone below her eye and a bruised eyeball.
Ten-year-old Schwab, who was ejected from the raft, was found dead at the bottom of the slide. Police have confirmed that the cause of death was decapitation.
As well as failing to meet weight requirements, an amusement park safety expert told PEOPLE that the restraints used on the rafts were also not suitable for a safe ride. Restraints reportedly rely on a hook-and-eye material similar to Velcro as the attachment.
The Schwab family’s attorney has not made a statement since this new information was uncovered.
This story first appeared at Womanista.
