A child died of a neck injury Sunday on the world's tallest water slide, located in Kansas City, Kan. Ten-year-old Caleb Thomas Schwab was the son of Kansas State Representative Scott Schwab.
Schwab died during the drop of the world’s tallest water slide, the Verrukt, at the famous Schlitterbahn water park. Police have reported so far that they have found nothing criminal during this investigation and are now regarding the incident as a civil matter, according to ABC News. The park has been shut down during the investigation.
Representative Schwab and his wife, Michele, identified themselves as the parents of the child and released a statement, CNN reports. They said that Caleb “brought abundant joy” to his family and all those who met him and called for privacy during their mourning period. Other state government officials expressed their condolences to the family as well, according to the Kansas City Star.
The ride is advertised as the tallest in the world and is even in the Guinness Book of World Records for its height. The ride, which means insane in German, is 168 feet high and requires three riders over 54 inches tall for each raft ride. Its initial opening 2014 was delayed, according to the Kansas City Star.
Officials of the park have commented on the situation, saying “We honestly don’t know what happened,” but declined to do any further interviews.
