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.
