• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Documentary looks in to what really caused 10-year-old boy to be decapitated riding 'world's tallest waterslide'

Home> News> US News

Published 16:17 4 Sep 2024 GMT+1

Documentary looks in to what really caused 10-year-old boy to be decapitated riding 'world's tallest waterslide'

Caleb Schwab had been visiting the Schlitterbahn Waterpark with his family in 2016 when he died

Niamh Shackleton

Niamh Shackleton

A documentary on the death of Caleb Schwab looked into what may have contributed to the 10-year-old's tragic death.

In 2016, Caleb and his family visited Kansas-based resort Schlitterbahn Waterpark, but what was supposed to be fun family day out ended in tragedy.

Caleb went on the waterpark's famous 'Verrückt' ride, which was helmed as the world's tallest water slide at the time, standing at a whopping 169 feet tall.

The ride opened in 2014 and quickly became a hugely popular attraction because of its record-breaking heights.

After climbing over 200 steps to get to the top, riders would climb aboard water rafts and plummet down the huge slide - with people reportedly hitting speeds of 70mph.

Advert

But Caleb never made it off the slide and ended up being decapitated on his way down.

It's believed that the young boy ended up being thrown from the raft towards the netting surrounding the slide - which had put there for safety purposes - and made contact with a metal pole, which killed him instantly.

In the years that followed, filmmaker Nathan Truesdell looked into the 10-year-old's tragic death and produced a short documentary on it.

Caleb Schwab lost his life in 2016 (Family Handout)
Caleb Schwab lost his life in 2016 (Family Handout)

Advert

He used news and promotional footage to depict the ill-conceived project and its tragic fallout.

Speaking about some of the things he learnt during his research, Truesdell told The Atlantic: "There wasn't a lot of science or ride engineering involved in the testing and design.

"They were sending sandbags down and basically hoping that they didn't fly off of the slide. The netting that ultimately ended up killing the child was added to prevent the rafts from flying off of the slide completely."

Backing his claims, court documents obtained by him and the news outlet revealed that a team of experts who inspected the ride after Caleb's death and found there to be 'physical evidence that indicated that other rafts had gone airborne and collided with the overhead hoops and netting before the fatality'.

Schlitterbahn co-owner Jeff Henry and senior designer John Schooley had been facing criminal charges in relation to Caleb's death, but they were later dismissed as a result of inadmissible evidence.

Advert

Operations manager Tyler Miles, who had been charged with involuntary manslaughter, also had his charges discarded.

While no one was prosecuted in relation to Caleb's death, Schlitterbahn Waterpark ended up closing its doors forever in September 2018 following the 10-year-old's passing and a string of other incidents at the park.

Featured Image Credit: Family Handout/ABC News

Topics: News, US News, Documentaries

Niamh Shackleton
Niamh Shackleton

Niamh Shackleton is an experienced journalist for UNILAD, specialising in topics including mental health and showbiz, as well as anything Henry Cavill and cat related. She has previously worked for OK! Magazine, Caters and Kennedy.

X

@niamhshackleton

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

5 hours ago
  • 5 hours ago

    Chipotle customer finds receipt from 10 years ago and the comparison is making people want to cry

    Chipotle customers are understandably upset

    News
  • 5 hours ago

    100-year-old identical twins reveal secret to long life after celebrating milestone

    Bernice Frank and Gloria Lipman shared their wisdom for reaching 100-years-old

    News
  • 5 hours ago

    Forensic psychiatrist gives chilling theory behind Bryan Kohberger’s motive after he confessed to Idaho murders

    Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty to murder earlier this week

    News
  • 5 hours ago

    Body found in search for man who vanished on vacation as police release chilling details

    Brian Tarrence was with his wife in Turks and Caicos before being reported missing days later

    News
  • Harrowing case of 'world's tallest waterslide' that decapitated 10-year-old boy
  • Eyewitness describes horrific moment 10-year-old boy was decapitated by 'world's tallest waterslide'
  • Experts' urgent 'sextortion' warning as 14-year-old boy dies 35 minutes after 'flirting with girl' online
  • 10-year-old boy who died after 340lb foster mom sat on him agonizing last words revealed