The dismantling of a waterslide that killed a 10-year-old boy in Kansas City has begun after being delayed for over two years due to ongoing criminal cases following the child’s death.
The Verruckt slide demolition at Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City commenced on Tuesday, Oct. 30, according to the Kansas City Business Journal, following the slide’s closure in Aug. 2016 in the aftermath of the tragic accident.
Caleb Schwab was killed while going down the slide when he went airborne and hit a metal rod that held the safety netting in place.
This June 2016 photo provided by David Strickland shows Caleb Thomas Schwab, the son of Scott Schwab, a Kansas state lawmaker from Olathe. (David Strickland via AP)
Demolition of the slide was delayed amidst disagreements regarding what needed to be preserved as evidence for a state investigation and multiple criminal cases related to the boy’s death.
An aerial photo showing the Verruckt, a waterslide that was billed as the world's largest, at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City, Kan. (Fox News)
Five people have faced criminal charges in connection with the incident.
On Oct. 18, a court acquitted Schlitterbahn maintenance employees David Hughes and John Zalsman of obstructing the investigation. Hughes and Zalsman were initially accused of lying to investigators in the boy’s death, but the jury found them not guilty, KSHB reported.
“I’m relieved for my client,” said Chris Joseph, who represented Zalsman, according to the Kansas City Star. “I think John really was innocent. I think he went there to try and help out. There’s no way he went there to try and throw off an investigation. I don’t believe it for a second.”
“The verdict speaks for itself,” Kansas Attorney General spokeswoman Jennifer Montgomery said.
Charges are pending against Schlitterbahn co-owner Jeffrey Henry, lead designer John Schooley, and Tyler Miles, the former director of operations for the water park.
Henry faces other charges unrelated to slide park incident, according to a Fox4 report. He has been charged with possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, along with charges related to possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of Xanax.
The since-closed waterslide used rafts that made the 17-story drop at speeds of up to 70 mph, followed by a surge over the hump and a 50-foot descent to a finishing pool. Caleb was in a raft that went flying and slammed him into a metal hoop that supported a net meant to keep riders from falling off the slide. Two women on the raft also were injured.
Prosecutors said that Hughes and Zalsman failed to replace a brake mat that fell from the slide two weeks prior to the boy’s death. They told investigators that the mat was only used during the testing phase.
“These are just two good old boys, they’re hard-working guys and because they’re the only two adults in the room they get singled out and have to get charged,” said Scott Toth, defense attorney for Hughes, The Associated Press reported.
“Why would two working-class, hourly guys lie about something insignificant. It doesn’t make sense,” Joseph said, KSHB reported.
Winter Prosapio, a spokeswoman for Schlitterbahn, told People magazine earlier this year that “the allegation that we operated, and failed to maintain, a ride that could foreseeably cause such a tragic accident is beyond the pale of speculation.”
“Many of us, and our children and grandchildren, have ridden the ride with complete confidence as to its safety,” Prosapio said.
Crews are expected to take four weeks to disassemble the slide, according to Wyandotte Daily.
Tom Ozimek is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times. He has a broad background in journalism, deposit insurance, marketing and communications, and adult education.
