As former lifeguard at schlitterbahn, this was bound to happen. In the mornings before the park opened we would "test" the rides by riding them before the guests, and that was about the extent of the safety measures at the park. People would fly off rides all the time, multiple people would be sent down waterslides and collide, tubes would be underinflated and get stuck on the rides. It was a nightmare. Not to mention the child labor law breaches, underpaid and overworked staff in the hot Texas summer sun. My heart goes out to the Schwab family...
Wow sounds like a nightmare! Reminds me of “Action Park” that was so dangerous that people were constantly seriously injured and nothing was done.. completely wreckless with no real safety measures. People never imagine they could be killed having a day having fun 😢
I remember when this happened and it still haunts me. The people who saw this are no doubt dealing with serious PTSD. As a parent, I’d just check out. It would be too horrific for me to handle.
The parents for sure will never be the same. As far as the others, it's hard to say. I worked aviation accidents for a long time and somehow managed to compartmentalize it.
From the looks of it this is a roller coaster that uses water. Due to the speeds from the drops you have to be belted into a roller coaster and the car has to be attached to the course.
This horrible ride should have never even thought of being built! If the rafts were going airborne when the ride was being tested out, that's reason enough not to even open it!. And making the safety net so people won't go airborne on it, didn't they think that the person would bump into the net which could cause harm or maybe death if the raft did go off the slide and go airborne which is exactly what happened! These people who built this ride were absolute idiots!!!!! I'm so very sorry to Caleb and his family.😢🌷
Same. I was an avid rollercoaster fan as a teen. Can’t really do those anymore because of a medical condition anyway, but these kinds of incidents are also close to the forefront of my mind.
I was a security guard at the fair I sure didn't want my son to go on any rides they slap em up they are held together by many things lol omg it's unreal just unreal how fast they set em up . Scary to 😢
Perhaps part of the reason that the State didn’t seek prosecution a second time was because it would have highlighted the government’s own deficiencies, such as allowing self regulation of the water slide industry and permitting non qualified designers to build such a ride without external approval.
My grandpa used to be an amusement park inspector for an insurance company. We had a list of rides we couldn't get on even though they were "technically" safe according to the park and whoever else was in charge of such things. Grandpa had seen too much.
@@chohaewon88 He was fine with the usual rollercoaster type rides but one that I remember was the tilt a whirl. It didn't kill people but it amputated a lot of feet. And one called the wild mouse was not allowed as it did kill people. It was supposed to turn fast and sharp and sometimes it didn't and the cars would go right off the edge. We also weren't allowed to swim in the pool as the middle was too far for life guards to see if someone was drowning. We grew up to be very cautious people.
@@goatgirl5968 - I'll have to let my mom know about the Tilt-a-Whirl. She was always (and still is) a complete worry wart. She hated the thought of me going on any of the larger, scarier rides, and always encouraged me to go on the Tilt-a-Whirl. Oh, the irony!! And those poor people - going on a fairly 'tame' ride and losing their feet. How awful! Thanks for the info.
I’m glad that you’re standing up for poor Caleb. You fully portrayed the absolute horror and senselessness of his death. Unfortunately, it’s too late to prevent it. Too bad one of the engineers or a lifeguard didn’t speak up earlier
Speak up to who though? The fact that the authorities didn't prosecute after a death indicates they probably wouldn't have done anything to prevent one.
If the proper authorities didn’t listen, I wish that they had let the public know directly how unsafe the ride was. Through mainstream or even social media. No decent parent would risk the safety of their child if there was any doubt
@@elizabethhamm5320 How can they inform the public about the ride's safety when they don't even sign off on it? Authorities and the government let them self-regulate. That has obviously changed after this death, but before that they didn't oversea anything.
I'm happy to hear you confirm my paranoia. Since having kids there's just no way I can allow them on these kind of rides they all look like death traps
@@daynasafranek7807 as a job for a teenager it wasn't that bad. Easy to get tail, which is always nice. But looking back, we were definitely exploited. We were paid minimum, with perks like free admission which costs the park nothing. And we had looooooong shifts without breaks which hopefully doesn't happen today
@@mamacito1795 well funny enough I picked the water park because it didn't have as many "rides" (this was in the late 90s). I was intimidated by the roller coasters at Six Flags and Astroworld and worried I'd screw up and get someone hurt. Even where I worked there was only one real ride, with the rest being some variation on a water slide. But just the fact that I was one of the oldest people there at 17 and received basically no trained was an instant red flag
I learned to respect waterslides all on my own, as a kid. I was a slim kid, something like 7-8yo, but I wanted to go as fast as possible, lying down in a tight form, hands above my head. After I felt my outer scapula go over the slides edge in a curve, still quite high up, I came quickly to my senses. I still remember how much I trembled in the end pool and all the way to tell mom about it, I was scared straight for sure!
There are always those that will take advantage of loopholes in government regulations. They feel entitled to treat the public as willing Guinea pigs. Thank you Dr. Grande, for lifting the assumption we all sometimes make that the public’s safety is of utmost consideration.
I’m from Kansas City and this ride looked ominous even before this tragedy. There was something that seemed wrong about it from the beginning. I’m glad it’s gone forever.
Not from KC but I remember seeing the videos and pictures when they were building this. I knew it was going to be an absolute disaster, just didn't think it would be this horrific even though I wasn't surprised at all someone died.
Yes Lori agree. I live in the same town as the Schwab family ( Olathe) and watching it get built and the height of it you could see for miles. Just frightening. I feel terrible for the family
My son almost died on a Disneyland ride. I still don’t know quite how he was allowed on but he has always been very very small for his age (and height). We were on the Matterhorn bobsleds and every time it went around a bend his whole bum would lift up and he even started to slide through the safety belt. Another problem was I was a lot bigger than him so the seat bar could only close at my waist, leaving too much room for him. I spent the whole ride using all my weight to hold him down. In my heart, I believe if he had been seated with his brother or anyone else who didn’t notice, he would have flown out and been killed :( I didn’t quite grasp the seriousness at the time but that was almost 15 years ago and it haunts me.
Btw a couple months ago when I couldn’t sleep I looked up the weight limits for the Matterhorn and I know for a fact he was under the weight and height because he was denied entry to Soarin’ over California on the same visit.
@@Puglover130 They don't have weight minimums for Disney! Just height minimums and then on the other end, for the adults, size restrictions on if the lap bar will close properly etc - that's the cast member's call. Soaring is 40" and Matterhorn is 42" now, but it was actually 35" in like 2012 and before (so likely when your son rode it, he was likely between 35" and 40" since he couldn't do Soaring - they redesigned it now and had to put a different height for the new seats), and then before it was 35" it was "age 3" years and years ago according to the internet. There have been 2 people killed on them - both of whom didn't have their seatbelt/restraint on.
@@Kristenwynnphotographyooh thank you so much for this information! That would explain it! He is super tiny for his height (always has been, he’s now 15 , 5’6 and under 100lbs.
This is a horrific case, my heart goes out to his family 😢 Just looking at that water slide I don’t think I could ever go on it. However, I understand people who love the thrill. In any case, most people assume that such rides are safe. That’s a really tragic case. Thank you, Dr. Grande.❤
I'm not very demonstrative when listening to most of these cases, despite most being sad, gruesome or tragic but my hand was clasped to my head & mouth throughout this. Just the utter reckless incompetence that led to poor Caleb's death & the injustice that followed. Poor little boy. How brutal
From what I recall, there was a terrible irony in this case. Caleb's father worked in the Kansas state legislature, which passed lax restrictions for parks to attract more businesses. His party supported the lax restrictions. The reason Kansas was chosen for this ride was because of those lax restrictions.
I'm not surprised. I thought that the moment I heard Caleb's father was in the state legislature. Let me take a guess to which political party he belonged....
That incident, as well as horrifying me for the poor victims, really has put me off rides. That was the one ride which felt really safe and wasn't horribly scary but just fun. I had no idea that it could possibly be dangerous.
God, that case was awful. The only silver lining is that the kids survived but that was a situation that when from mild inconvenience to horror movie in seconds.
I live in Queensland, and can fully remember that day. It was just so horrifically tragic the way those poor people died. I remember thinking that it looked like one of the safer rides at wet n wild, but with all those heavy mechanical parts lying just underneath, it can be just as dangerous. That incident made my mind up- I'm never going to take my family there, the level of trust you have isn't measured by the level of care they present on safety and upkeep of rides. RIP to all the families involved 💔✝️🇦🇺
I thought the insides should have have been stainless steel, not only for corrosion, but RESISTANCE at the wrong time, which could have contributed. Low water level=bad, but you don't want a nasty, rusty rail to not slide along, either.
I am involved in structural event rigging and employ structural engineers who are the first in to determine if I-Beams in building structures are safe enough to rig points on. Once certified, a professional, bonded and insured rigger is employed who carries the several million dollars of insurance required. That rigger installs the points and is employed for every rig in and out. I can safely say, we rig based on the structure having several times more integrity than the weight of the floated rig. This is not a "trial and error" proposition. We overcompensate because we know if something happens, people die and we take that extremely seriously. I don't know what the hell the state was thinking when they allowed this structure to be unregulated.
This was horrifying ! I go to the same church as the Schwab family, and attended the funeral. I will never forget this horrific and preventable tragedy!
Going to Children's Mercy Park or The Legend's was so eerie before they dismantled the ride. Even the new Menards building has not yet fully eliminated the chill down my spine. I always think about and can NOT ever imagine how the family feels if and when they go near the place. A horrible situation all around.
Really? They took it down? I didn’t know that. I’m really pleased to hear that it’s been taken down. Honestly who would go on it after this horrific fatality anyway.
Damn, this sounds like a gruesome scene from Final Destination come to life. I couldn't image being that family literally watching your young family member literally decapitated in front of you. And those 2 girls that actually were up close and were in the splash zone of witnessing that happen must be permanently scared too.
So did the last one of Dr. Grande’s videos I watched, which was also about a water park ride that caused horrific fatalities (four at once, to be precise). That’s exactly what I was thinking 🧠(what you said, in your first sentence, about “Final Destination”)!
You don't have to be an engineer to work out the overhead hoop and net would at best only stop the raft falling from the structure. It should be obvious to even a simple person, if the raft were to fly up there that the passengers were at risk
If Caleb’s dad was a Kansas state representative, I wonder why he did not push for more legislation regulating water parks. $20M for my child’s life definitely wouldn’t be enough to stop there. 😢
He did, but only after the incident. Before that he vehemently opposed regulations and believed in the fantasy of "self-regulation", which is exactly what led to the incident. We have a saying where I come from, literally translated as _(Too) late, the sinner shall wake._
I remember when this happened and I don’t want to imagine the horror they saw that day when they witnessed Caleb’s senseless death. It’s so mind boggling that this ride was even allowed to open. RIP Caleb.
it’s unimaginable that this “water park” was allowed to open rides without strict regulations to new equipment being utilized. the public put their trust in the water park not to recklessly kill them while they are enjoying rides. RIP Caleb ❤
I understand what you're doing by calling the water park a "water park", but I find it mildly amusing that you could theoretically imply that it was actually not a water park. It really could be called an extravagant water-themed slaughterhouse.
@no_mnom At least Action Park had the excuse it was one of the first water parks in the country and most of the rides were experimental. Most of the places built after the Action Park era dont have excuses.
I knew a Taiwanese engineering student; his homework had him up until 3 or 4 a.m. at times. If an engineer tells you your ride is unsafe, you'd better adjust your expectations.
They ignored certain results during testing and red flags from professionals. It was mostly negligence and the laziness of self regulation. It is pretty astounding that Caleb didn’t see justice when he was the son of a state rep.
Not surprising when you consider how his father was a lawmaker who supported the fantasy of "self-regulation" and prevented real regulation from being put in place and thus can be considered complicit.
@@MLennholm Oh, please! That's a cheap shot at the father. The government (both useless parties) get plenty of things wrong. You can't legislate all risk out of life. In this case, there's plenty of blame to go around.
@MLennholm How do you know that his father was involved in parks regulations at all? Just because he was a State Representative doesn't mean that he dealt with parks regulations. You are victim blaming without any proof whatsoever. And to call the child's father complicit is slander.
@MadgeGreen "When it was his turn, he said he didn’t come to the Legislature to grow government or increase regulations but that “you can get to a point where there’s just not enough.” This guy is a spineless hypocrite. Real leopard eating peoples faces party type stuff.
@@MadgeGreen Lawmakers aren't grouped into different areas of responsibility, they're all involved in every law proposed and voted on. Scott Schwab was openly and publicly opposed to government regulation as a matter of principle, and it's this opposition that is responsible for the water slide that cut his son's life short being allowed to exist as a legally operated death trap. He realized his error after the incident and changed to supporting stronger government regulation. If only he had come to this realization before the incident... BTW, even Dr Grande says that the state failed Caleb. Well, that very much includes his father, being a representative of the state legislature.
that's crazy! By the built stage, there should only be final tweaks left, surely? All the physics calculations & modelling should be completed in the design phase, no?
Jeff Henry was kind of the black sheep of his family. He had a criminal record and had no job skills Sam’s relies solely on the family for support and survival. The water park was the family’s most valuable asset and he wanted to be part of that. He designed this abomination and couldn’t get any manufacturing companies to build it.. most likely because of couldn’t be some safety and the manufacturers wanted to make modifications but Jeff was too arrogant to listen so he designed and built it himself. It’s an even bigger abomination that any charges against him were dropped. This was all about his ego and in my opinion he ruined and shamed the family name and the Slitterbaun name. It was sold To Cedar Fairs.
Also the state regulators should have stopped this, amid all the countless warning signs, before it eventually went deadly. I realise ‘certain’ politicians don’t like to regulate businesses, but many of these regulations are written in blood for a reason.
I agree with Dr. Grande. This was such a horrible and avoidable tragedy. Families go to amusement parks to have fun and share memories. This memory will probably be impossible to erase from the minds of witnesses and family members. RIP Caleb.
Yeah no kidding, these people make such a huge profit at these things and you'd figure they'd be OVER- designed,, like an elevator or whatever with regulations and inspection and that know how to regulate... Doesn't take much to get a couple trained technicians doing THEIR OWN tests for a day and that pos Widowmaker ride WOULD HAVE NEVER passed inspection...
There's no limit to what some people will do for money. This cost a young boys life, a devastated family, criminal charges and $20,000,000. The owners knew the issues, but proceeded anyway. It's too often all about the money. 😢
This is why regulations are important. You cannot trust that every business owner is going to do the right thing and not get carried away with some vanity project.
The fantasy of "self-regulation". The dark irony is that Caleb's father was one of the officials who believed in that fantasy and prevented actual regulations from being put in place (until after it personally affected him, that is).
@@humansvd3269 LOL, the legislature not letting greedy, profit driven businesses kill us is the same as running our lives? What a good little corporatist shill you are 😂
What’s worse is that one of Caleb’s brothers witnessed the aftermath. That would be highly traumatic for anyone to see but as a child, seeing your sibling die in such a gruesome way…I don’t know how you could ever forget that. No one should have to remember their loved one that way. Also surprised, given that Caleb’s dad was a legislator, that this didn’t get pursued further.
Rides in parks and fairs are a danger. Regular inspection by qualified individuals is often missing. So many states are overly fixated on revenue instead of safety.
All you need is very basic classes in physics to see that thing was dangerous. The forces and speed generated and he installs metal nets? So many things here seem totally crazy.
@@andreakarlsson7927 This. I took very basic physics classes in high school and agree that that's all you'd need to be able to tell that this design was a very, very bad idea. It's a travesty that the owner didn't face criminal charges, because he _had_ to know.
Caleb's father was one of those officials who vehemently opposed regulations as it went against his principles of 'free enterprise'. He only started caring about safety regulation after he was personally affected by the lack of it. In other words, a typical Republican.
I don't go to theme parks to seek a thrill. It has always seemed to me to be dangerous. I hate being out of control. Makes flying in commercial jets kind of scary.
The odds of actually getting killed on something such as a roller coaster is actually extremely low. It’s like 1 in 24 million (similar to Lightning which is around 1 in 1 million) LOL You’re far more likely to be killed on the way to the park (car accident death is around 1 in 100)
The whole problem was in the metal hoops. It’s obviously hazardous and induces negligence independent from any expert opinion. Anyone can foresee the dangers of hitting one of those after a weight miscalculation.
Exactly! Hitting it at a high rate of speed 68 mph no less!? Most coasters at Disneyland shockingly only go like 35mph they add extra stuff to make it feel faster. This was definitely a disaster waiting to happen.
Because the man that owned and built this wanted this ride to specifically be “the world tallest water slide” and not a roller coaster. Thats why they never considered it to be fixed to a track.
I hate that his brother was Literally right behind him when this happened and saw everything first hand. Horrific. Imagine being btold your ride is unsafe and may kill someone and you do nothing...
The original Sky Screamer waterslide at the World Waterpark at West Edmonton Mall was removed & replaced with 2 new slides because people with enlarged hearts or heart conditions could pass out & drown in the splashdown pool from the speed of going down the slide.
That must have been horrendous! Poor Kaleb:( I've never heard of a ride where you'd have to 'weigh in' and then get a cumulative weight total before you could even step on the ride. How odd. I sure wouldn't trust it.
It is rare, there are often height limits and maximum weight limits. The problem here was not that a cumulative minimum was needed but that they put a significantly lighter person at the front, if he'd been placed in the middle it would have probably been fine.
Yes ,it means a sliding track in German originally made like that by children using their shoes to make it ! Horrific story, I can't imagine the parents watching this happen and having to go through the grief of losing a child afterwards. I wouldn't wish that even on my enemies !
That's honestly such a cute name for a waterpark, and a cute idea for a word in general. I don't have a word for that in any of the languages I speak. 😂
@@Nylak-Otter Yes, the German language is very literal and descriptive in many of it's words especially the nouns ! For example , Auf Wiedersehen which is goodbye, literally means ,"see you again" in German .
00:29 🎢 Schlitterbahn, a water park chain, opened a Kansas City park in 2009, debuting the Verrückt, designed by Jeff Henry, touted as the world's tallest and fastest waterslide. 01:13 🛠 The ride's design lacked engineering expertise; testing involved a trial-and-error approach with models and sandbags as passengers. 04:25 🎢 On August 7, 2016, 10-year-old Caleb Schwab's tragic death occurred when the raft he was in flew off the slide, leading to his decapitation by a metal hoop. 06:24 🚨 Prior to Caleb's death, 11 incidents with injuries on the Verrückt occurred, including instances where rafts went airborne; park employees were alleged to have downplayed these incidents. 07:41 ⚖ Legal action ensued: indictments for involuntary manslaughter, aggravated battery, and other charges against park officials and creators, though eventually dismissed due to inadmissible evidence. 09:17 🤔 Analysis on Jeff Henry's culpability: while lacking engineering credentials, he rushed the ride's construction, ignored safety warnings, and appeared reckless, potentially guilty of negligent homicide. 11:51 🤷 Opinions lean towards Jeff Henry's probable guilt of negligent homicide; he pursued a record-breaking ride without proper training, disregarding safety warnings and fostering a culture of secrecy about ride incidents. 13:18 🚧 The tragedy highlights lax self-regulation in the water park industry, exposing flaws in oversight and safety prioritization, despite public assumptions of state monitorin
I live in Kansas and I am horrified at the lack of accountabilityGod bless his family and anyone who witnessed this absolutely avoidable tragic accident. Sweet you boy I know you are resting in peace❤ Love to his family❤❤❤
Great analysis as always Dr. Grande. I was hoping you say Jeff was guilty of negligent homicide. The fact that he had an engineering company tell him the ride was not safe and his solution was to add a net is unbelievably reckless. It sounds like they had already increased the height of the second hill when they got that report. This probably could have been avoided if they listened to the engineers. They probably could have increased the height or length of the second hill again so there was zero chance of the raft catching air. Instead they added a net. They really should have pursued charges against him.
Thanks for the upload, Dr. Grande! Your true fans love your humour and sarcasm. January 5 is National Whipped Cream Day, the Feast of the Air Spirits, National Bird Day, Apple Howling Day, National Screenwriters Day, and National Keto Day.
what'd grande say, 500 pound weight for three people to not get airborn, dang that's a lot per person... i imagine it's a lot of kids who are going on the ride and to compensate it'd have to be some large people in the other two spots, which would be a weird weight distribution
There was a similar incident in Altoona IA at a water park called Adventure land. This involved a tube ride where a family could enter a tube and it would move them along swift moving water and under water falls ect.... The incident occurred when a family of 5 entered a raft that had insufficient air pressure in the air bladder that surrounded the tube. At one point in the ride this caused the raft to become stuck and flip over trapping the riders under the tube. This resulted in the death of one of the young sons in the family and nearly caused that death of another. Staff had been warned about using rafts that appeared to lack proper inflation.
These places are often staffed by students doing it as a summer job. They are often poorly trained but the bigger factor is that they lack the experience and confidence to stop things that don't seem right, especially if supervisors are pushing them to keep up the throughput of people (hence money).
Years ago , I was on a Roller Coaster that started moving with no safety harness... A teenage employee whipped the harness down at the last second.... I'm sure, I would have died .
I remember this case specifically for the cruelty of people commenting about it online. 99% of the comments on the news page where I saw the story were bad puns and people outright mocking Caleb and his family. I still can't comprehend why people would derive pleasure from the death of a child.
many people take a flippant stance on these stories as a common defense mechanism against the subject matter affecting them. it's actually a good defense mechanism when you take out the online factor.
I don't think those types of comments are sincere. Those people are not thinking deeply about it, which allows them to make light of it. I just hope the family doesn't read those comments!
@@ManCheetah294People: Always comment as if the family members of the victims are going to read it, because sometimes they do. Be as respectful when commenting as you would want people to be if the victim was your friend or loved one. If you HAVE to joke and mock the victim to handle other people's tragedy, don't write a comment. Joke and mock the victim in the privacy of your own mind, if you find it helpful to you for some reason. There is no excuse for doing that online. None. Ever.
@@Wanderlust246 not really. Edit: what i mean to say is that there is evidence that thisprotects humans from trauma, so its always been a social thing that has happened. The internet is what's new.
I think about those sisters who rode with him a lot...they of course left with their lives, but I cannot imagine the horror of what they witnessed and the chaos that ensued...
This was my nightmare. I remember going to water parks as a kid/teen and then going up those tall waterslides. I became petrified and could not stop thinking about going over the side or getting a limb jammed. Of course, I could not back out due to peer pressure, LOL, but I hated every second of it... except the end where you get a huge adrenaline rush and a sense of relief. But I think I'm now afraid of heights as a result of that. Or, at least high places with no hand rails or walls that reach at least to my chest.
I live in KC and remember when they opened this slide. I also remember thinking - this is a terrible idea. And, not that he'd have any reason to know this, but listening to Dr G pronounce "Olathe" incorrectly gave me a bit of a giggle.
I lived in Kansas City when this happened. One of the principal contractors of the water park built my subdivision in North Kansas City. I was just telling friends about this incident.
Proud graduates of the Mulholland School Of Engineering. What could go wrong? (Referring to the St. Francis Dam debacle. That would make a great subject for you, assuming you haven't already done it.)
This was always one of the most absolutely heartbreaking stories. This poor precious family- just wanted to provide their children with some fun. This beautiful little boy, all of it is soul crushing 😔
Ironic that one of the people who might have had the power to require waterparks to be inspected was Caleb's own father who was a Kansas State Representative. I wonder how involved he was in changing the self inspection requirements. At least Caleb died so quickly he didn't suffer any pain.
The weight distribution was the reason for this horrific accident. 2 sisters weighing 425lbs combined and poor Caleb at 75lbs sitting in the front. I bet if he was sitting in the middle it would’ve been fine. Every time I’ve been on a small aircraft they always seat passengers according to their weight. Weight seems to be the common denominator in amusement park fatalities.
From riding in canoes I know what you mean. Whwn we're standing on the ground gravity appears to work on us all the same but weight matters when it comes to buoyancy.
In German, a “Schlitterbahn” is an ice or snow-packed tobbaggon or sled run. It is not a “slippery road.” And you badly mispronounced “verückt.” Interesting, how you pronounce Spanish perfectly, but anglicized all of the other languages, Grande!
Talking for i'm sure an already scared 10 year old child regarding the safety of a ride, there is ZERO EXCUSE to not make sure ALL Calculations and maintence are executed to reduce risk to the smallest extent possible. If this fails, the people AND GOVERNMENT should be held 100 percent accountable and serve as an EXAMPLE to others to not attempt to cut corners. This is really unexcusable. The 10 year old put his trust in those older to keep him safe and they were simply negligent taking resulting in a horrific death.
I admire you a lot Dr. Todd Grande. You are a very smart and nice doctor. I have bipolar disorder and I never forget to take my medications because it keeps me stable.
Having a German name may have also misled people, causing them to assume the ride was designed and engineered by a German company, which is often considered the "gold standard" for this. I think the Govt should investigate whether using that German name was just a coincidence or a deliberate spoof to create false trust.
Good point. Given Germany's reputation for precision and detail it would certainly give the impression that every scenario had been thought of and taken into account. The name could certainly give that impression.
Can you please analyze the case of the boy missing in Idaho, Michael Joseph Vaughan ? The police seemed sure the neighbor killed him but the case has stalled…
How ironic that Caleb’s father was a representative of Kansas State Legislature wholly responsible for amending the law only after HIS son’s death. All the other injuries went unnoticed. Had this ride never been allowed to operate or shut down at the first sign of trouble- Caleb would be alive today.
Not a single mention of how Caleb's father was responsible for the lax regulations that allowed this ride to operate legally? You mention how the state failed Caleb but don't mention how this includes his own father (being a state lawmaker who vehemently opposed regulations). You usually don't shy away from taking pot-shots like that for some dark comedic effect, but I guess it's different when it involves someone from _that_ side of the isle...
"The Horror! The Horror!" I "Heart of Darkness in Kansas" Near the end of Joseph Conrad's famous short story "Heart of Darkness" (1902), the main character "Kurtz" admits to what he has witnessed while living in central Africa and operating in conjunction with European colonial authorities. We don't need to visit Africa, nor do we need to realize that "we aren't in Kansas anymore" to recognize the horror of this incident. It's simply unimaginable that Caleb's parents be aware of such events, let alone witness any of it. But the key moments for us is the strange "double-faced" nature of the setting. Here we witness a sunny day where fun is at the top of the agenda. No one was feeling the tension that comes from life-threatening circumstances. It was all about fun until it wasn't. And it wasn't any fun the moment Caleb was airborne, nor was it fun to watch what happened once he shuffled off this mortal coil. Thank you.
All I had to do was see that sweet little boy in his little league picture. I haven’t heard the story. I’ll have to pass. Based on comments, facts are horrible. Haunting.
I have to admit I was a bit salty about this case for a while since I was misinformed. I didn't realize Caleb and the 2 other passengers DID in fact meet the weight requirements for the raft. I was always under the assumption the employees cut corners and didn't weigh Caleb and the 2 passengers and that the ride was unnecessarily demolished due to negligence on the employees part in 1 freak accident. Didn't realize not only that the weight requirement was hit (generously so as it turns out!) but that the construction of the ride was marred with cut corners and narcissism and that there had been several injuries prior. This changes my whole perspective on the matter. What a mess.
I can’t imagine the grief a parent would feel after seeing their child decapitated. It’s bad enough a child dieing, let alone in this manner. You would never get this image out of your head.
As a parent I don't think I would survive after something like this . A parent lives for their children and losing my child like this would be unbearable!
As former lifeguard at schlitterbahn, this was bound to happen. In the mornings before the park opened we would "test" the rides by riding them before the guests, and that was about the extent of the safety measures at the park. People would fly off rides all the time, multiple people would be sent down waterslides and collide, tubes would be underinflated and get stuck on the rides. It was a nightmare. Not to mention the child labor law breaches, underpaid and overworked staff in the hot Texas summer sun. My heart goes out to the Schwab family...
So the staff were the daily guineapigs?
@@It-is-me...Melsie yep.
Wow sounds like a nightmare! Reminds me of “Action Park” that was so dangerous that people were constantly seriously injured and nothing was done.. completely wreckless with no real safety measures. People never imagine they could be killed having a day having fun 😢
And to think people totally believe its safe, me included...
@@veenavetoyou want to believe they're safe especially when putting ours and our children's life's in their hands. This scares the crap outta me.
I remember when this happened and it still haunts me. The people who saw this are no doubt dealing with serious PTSD. As a parent, I’d just check out. It would be too horrific for me to handle.
I agree this will forever haunt me - and as a parent I could never handle it - ever
@@misstinahamilton5714 me either 😢
The parents for sure will never be the same. As far as the others, it's hard to say. I worked aviation accidents for a long time and somehow managed to compartmentalize it.
You might surprise yourself, if you had other children who were depending upon you. Hard to predict.
Sometimes couples create another kid not long after losing one. Depending on if the kid was so young, and the parents are both still fertile.
I remember passing by this water Park on state Rd in Kansas City, it was closed for the longest time after the accident
not sure how you get over seeing that
From the looks of it this is a roller coaster that uses water. Due to the speeds from the drops you have to be belted into a roller coaster and the car has to be attached to the course.
I don’t understand for the life of me why they would use metal hoops for netting instead of just poles to hold up netting
This horrible ride should have never even thought of being built! If the rafts were going airborne when the ride was being tested out, that's reason enough not to even open it!. And making the safety net so people won't go airborne on it, didn't they think that the person would bump into the net which could cause harm or maybe death if the raft did go off the slide and go airborne which is exactly what happened! These people who built this ride were absolute idiots!!!!! I'm so very sorry to Caleb and his family.😢🌷
The older I get, the more I realize amusement parks usually employs the most sketchy characters. That's why I don't visit them.
The older I get the more skeptical I am of these rides. I also realize how many times I gambled with my life, especially at the local fairs!
I can definitely relate and agree I with you completely!!
Same. I was an avid rollercoaster fan as a teen. Can’t really do those anymore because of a medical condition anyway, but these kinds of incidents are also close to the forefront of my mind.
I was a security guard at the fair I sure didn't want my son to go on any rides they slap em up they are held together by many things lol omg it's unreal just unreal how fast they set em up . Scary to 😢
Perhaps part of the reason that the State didn’t seek prosecution a second time was because it would have highlighted the government’s own deficiencies, such as allowing self regulation of the water slide industry and permitting non qualified designers to build such a ride without external approval.
Was there something beyond political deficiencies and negligence - perhaps graft?
The fact that Caleb's own father was one of the people responsible for those insufficient regulations probably played a part...
damn...@@MLennholm
They tried to charge the guy with murder, not negligence. It was an inappropriate charge.
I agree with you ! Something's up that it got dismissed!
My grandpa used to be an amusement park inspector for an insurance company. We had a list of rides we couldn't get on even though they were "technically" safe according to the park and whoever else was in charge of such things. Grandpa had seen too much.
Which ones would he consider safe?
good grandpa you have there protecting yall ❤️❤️
@@chohaewon88 He was fine with the usual rollercoaster type rides but one that I remember was the tilt a whirl. It didn't kill people but it amputated a lot of feet. And one called the wild mouse was not allowed as it did kill people. It was supposed to turn fast and sharp and sometimes it didn't and the cars would go right off the edge. We also weren't allowed to swim in the pool as the middle was too far for life guards to see if someone was drowning. We grew up to be very cautious people.
@@goatgirl5968 - I'll have to let my mom know about the Tilt-a-Whirl. She was always (and still is) a complete worry wart. She hated the thought of me going on any of the larger, scarier rides, and always encouraged me to go on the Tilt-a-Whirl. Oh, the irony!! And those poor people - going on a fairly 'tame' ride and losing their feet. How awful! Thanks for the info.
@@goatgirl5968my two fav rides. II've been on them a lot. What state did he work for?
I’m glad that you’re standing up for poor Caleb. You fully portrayed the absolute horror and senselessness of his death. Unfortunately, it’s too late to prevent it. Too bad one of the engineers or a lifeguard didn’t speak up earlier
You can thank the stigma of "whistle Blower" for that
Speak up to who though? The fact that the authorities didn't prosecute after a death indicates they probably wouldn't have done anything to prevent one.
If the proper authorities didn’t listen, I wish that they had let the public know directly how unsafe the ride was. Through mainstream or even social media. No decent parent would risk the safety of their child if there was any doubt
@@elizabethhamm5320 How can they inform the public about the ride's safety when they don't even sign off on it? Authorities and the government let them self-regulate. That has obviously changed after this death, but before that they didn't oversea anything.
@@elizabethhamm5320 And if you mean the employees, well whistle blowers are always demonized, which I find ridiculous.
I worked at Schlitterbahn for a summer and I was appalled at the safety measures. I haven't been to a theme park since
I can understand why. My condolences for having to go through working at any theme park.
I'm happy to hear you confirm my paranoia. Since having kids there's just no way I can allow them on these kind of rides they all look like death traps
@@daynasafranek7807 as a job for a teenager it wasn't that bad. Easy to get tail, which is always nice. But looking back, we were definitely exploited. We were paid minimum, with perks like free admission which costs the park nothing. And we had looooooong shifts without breaks which hopefully doesn't happen today
@@mamacito1795 well funny enough I picked the water park because it didn't have as many "rides" (this was in the late 90s). I was intimidated by the roller coasters at Six Flags and Astroworld and worried I'd screw up and get someone hurt. Even where I worked there was only one real ride, with the rest being some variation on a water slide. But just the fact that I was one of the oldest people there at 17 and received basically no trained was an instant red flag
I learned to respect waterslides all on my own, as a kid. I was a slim kid, something like 7-8yo, but I wanted to go as fast as possible, lying down in a tight form, hands above my head. After I felt my outer scapula go over the slides edge in a curve, still quite high up, I came quickly to my senses. I still remember how much I trembled in the end pool and all the way to tell mom about it, I was scared straight for sure!
There are always those that will take advantage of loopholes in government regulations. They feel entitled to treat the public as willing Guinea pigs. Thank you Dr. Grande, for lifting the assumption we all sometimes make that the public’s safety is of utmost consideration.
Hi. Your 1st two sentences are so true.
@@Tranquility32Yes. The last one is dodgy.
The dark irony is that Caleb's father was one of the officials who were responsible for state regulations being so lax
I’m from Kansas City and this ride looked ominous even before this tragedy. There was something that seemed wrong about it from the beginning. I’m glad it’s gone forever.
Not from KC but I remember seeing the videos and pictures when they were building this. I knew it was going to be an absolute disaster, just didn't think it would be this horrific even though I wasn't surprised at all someone died.
Yes Lori agree. I live in the same town as the Schwab family ( Olathe) and watching it get built and the height of it you could see for miles. Just frightening. I feel terrible for the family
You don't have to have degree in physics to see that it's too steep and at some point gravity will kick in
Yeah, I also live in Kansas City… I had to drive past that dam slide to work every day…. They left it standing FOREVER….
@@turtlejeepjen314 agree! It was forever!
My son almost died on a Disneyland ride. I still don’t know quite how he was allowed on but he has always been very very small for his age (and height). We were on the Matterhorn bobsleds and every time it went around a bend his whole bum would lift up and he even started to slide through the safety belt. Another problem was I was a lot bigger than him so the seat bar could only close at my waist, leaving too much room for him. I spent the whole ride using all my weight to hold him down.
In my heart, I believe if he had been seated with his brother or anyone else who didn’t notice, he would have flown out and been killed :( I didn’t quite grasp the seriousness at the time but that was almost 15 years ago and it haunts me.
Btw a couple months ago when I couldn’t sleep I looked up the weight limits for the Matterhorn and I know for a fact he was under the weight and height because he was denied entry to Soarin’ over California on the same visit.
Hi. I absolutely believe you’re not only his Mom, but his Guardian Angel. ♥️
😯 Thank God you noticed!
@@Puglover130 They don't have weight minimums for Disney! Just height minimums and then on the other end, for the adults, size restrictions on if the lap bar will close properly etc - that's the cast member's call. Soaring is 40" and Matterhorn is 42" now, but it was actually 35" in like 2012 and before (so likely when your son rode it, he was likely between 35" and 40" since he couldn't do Soaring - they redesigned it now and had to put a different height for the new seats), and then before it was 35" it was "age 3" years and years ago according to the internet. There have been 2 people killed on them - both of whom didn't have their seatbelt/restraint on.
@@Kristenwynnphotographyooh thank you so much for this information! That would explain it! He is super tiny for his height (always has been, he’s now 15 , 5’6 and under 100lbs.
This is a horrific case, my heart goes out to his family 😢
Just looking at that water slide I don’t think I could ever go on it. However, I understand people who love the thrill. In any case, most people assume that such rides are safe. That’s a really tragic case.
Thank you, Dr. Grande.❤
I'm not very demonstrative when listening to most of these cases, despite most being sad, gruesome or tragic but my hand was clasped to my head & mouth throughout this. Just the utter reckless incompetence that led to poor Caleb's death & the injustice that followed. Poor little boy. How brutal
Yeah it was brutal😮
From what I recall, there was a terrible irony in this case. Caleb's father worked in the Kansas state legislature, which passed lax restrictions for parks to attract more businesses. His party supported the lax restrictions. The reason Kansas was chosen for this ride was because of those lax restrictions.
Damn. That’s crazy. What a way to prove lax safety protocols is dangerous.
I'm not surprised. I thought that the moment I heard Caleb's father was in the state legislature. Let me take a guess to which political party he belonged....
This is one of the top replies in my view, thank you for the share of insight. Imagine the guilt.
@@Jennifermcintyre Unfortunately that proof has not stopped the Republican state politicians of reconsidering.
Not sure I believe the party of Family Values would put corporate profits before people's health and well being.
Here in Australia 4 people were killed when a rafting ride malfunctioned. Be careful out there!
That incident, as well as horrifying me for the poor victims, really has put me off rides. That was the one ride which felt really safe and wasn't horribly scary but just fun. I had no idea that it could possibly be dangerous.
God, that case was awful. The only silver lining is that the kids survived but that was a situation that when from mild inconvenience to horror movie in seconds.
I live in Queensland, and can fully remember that day. It was just so horrifically tragic the way those poor people died.
I remember thinking that it looked like one of the safer rides at wet n wild, but with all those heavy mechanical parts lying just underneath, it can be just as dangerous. That incident made my mind up- I'm never going to take my family there, the level of trust you have isn't measured by the level of care they present on safety and upkeep of rides.
RIP to all the families involved 💔✝️🇦🇺
I thought the insides should have have been stainless steel, not only for corrosion, but RESISTANCE at the wrong time, which could have contributed. Low water level=bad, but you don't want a nasty, rusty rail to not slide along, either.
I remember. At Dreamworld.
I am involved in structural event rigging and employ structural engineers who are the first in to determine if I-Beams in building structures are safe enough to rig points on. Once certified, a professional, bonded and insured rigger is employed who carries the several million dollars of insurance required. That rigger installs the points and is employed for every rig in and out. I can safely say, we rig based on the structure having several times more integrity than the weight of the floated rig. This is not a "trial and error" proposition. We overcompensate because we know if something happens, people die and we take that extremely seriously. I don't know what the hell the state was thinking when they allowed this structure to be unregulated.
This was horrifying ! I go to the same church as the Schwab family, and attended the funeral. I will never forget this horrific and preventable tragedy!
This has Moby Dick and the recent Titan submersible written all over it.
I just can't imagine my sympathy an prayers 🙏
Going to Children's Mercy Park or The Legend's was so eerie before they dismantled the ride. Even the new Menards building has not yet fully eliminated the chill down my spine. I always think about and can NOT ever imagine how the family feels if and when they go near the place. A horrible situation all around.
PLEASE look in to the shooting death of the chiropractor in Bonners Ferry, Idaho
Your insight in to this case would be AMAZING!
Thank you!!
This case is on the list!
@@DrGrande Awesome! Thank you so much sir! Love your channel! Be well and Happy 2024!!
They finally took Verruckt down a few years after he died. Driving by it on the highway always made me sick 😢
Really? They took it down? I didn’t know that. I’m really pleased to hear that it’s been taken down. Honestly who would go on it after this horrific fatality anyway.
@@francinejones2524 absolutely you are right and they closed the park
I saw another video on this very incident and it made me squirm uncomfortably. It was a very horrible accident.
Damn, this sounds like a gruesome scene from Final Destination come to life. I couldn't image being that family literally watching your young family member literally decapitated in front of you. And those 2 girls that actually were up close and were in the splash zone of witnessing that happen must be permanently scared too.
So did the last one of Dr. Grande’s videos I watched, which was also about a water park ride that caused horrific fatalities (four at once, to be precise). That’s exactly what I was thinking 🧠(what you said, in your first sentence, about “Final Destination”)!
The fact the owner described the slide as erotic....
Erotic? WTF.
The guy was all about his own ego. He should be in jail.
You don't have to be an engineer to work out the overhead hoop and net would at best only stop the raft falling from the structure. It should be obvious to even a simple person, if the raft were to fly up there that the passengers were at risk
If Caleb’s dad was a Kansas state representative, I wonder why he did not push for more legislation regulating water parks. $20M for my child’s life definitely wouldn’t be enough to stop there. 😢
Apparently, it was for him.
He did, but only after the incident. Before that he vehemently opposed regulations and believed in the fantasy of "self-regulation", which is exactly what led to the incident. We have a saying where I come from, literally translated as _(Too) late, the sinner shall wake._
They did get the regulatory laws changed.
This metal hoop from the beginning is stupid really..I feel sorry for the family if the lil boy😢
I remember when this happened and I don’t want to imagine the horror they saw that day when they witnessed Caleb’s senseless death. It’s so mind boggling that this ride was even allowed to open. RIP Caleb.
it’s unimaginable that this “water park” was allowed to open rides without strict regulations to new equipment being utilized. the public put their trust in the water park not to recklessly kill them while they are enjoying rides. RIP Caleb ❤
I understand what you're doing by calling the water park a "water park", but I find it mildly amusing that you could theoretically imply that it was actually not a water park. It really could be called an extravagant water-themed slaughterhouse.
This is not the first incident of something like that in Waterparks, this seems like a repetition of "action park"
@no_mnom At least Action Park had the excuse it was one of the first water parks in the country and most of the rides were experimental.
Most of the places built after the Action Park era dont have excuses.
I knew a Taiwanese engineering student; his homework had him up until 3 or 4 a.m. at times. If an engineer tells you your ride is unsafe, you'd better adjust your expectations.
They ignored certain results during testing and red flags from professionals. It was mostly negligence and the laziness of self regulation. It is pretty astounding that Caleb didn’t see justice when he was the son of a state rep.
Not surprising when you consider how his father was a lawmaker who supported the fantasy of "self-regulation" and prevented real regulation from being put in place and thus can be considered complicit.
@@MLennholm Oh, please! That's a cheap shot at the father. The government (both useless parties) get plenty of things wrong. You can't legislate all risk out of life. In this case, there's plenty of blame to go around.
@MLennholm How do you know that his father was involved in parks regulations at all? Just because he was a State Representative doesn't mean that he dealt with parks regulations. You are victim blaming without any proof whatsoever. And to call the child's father complicit is slander.
@MadgeGreen "When it was his turn, he said he didn’t come to the Legislature to grow government or increase regulations but that “you can get to a point where there’s just not enough.” This guy is a spineless hypocrite. Real leopard eating peoples faces party type stuff.
@@MadgeGreen Lawmakers aren't grouped into different areas of responsibility, they're all involved in every law proposed and voted on. Scott Schwab was openly and publicly opposed to government regulation as a matter of principle, and it's this opposition that is responsible for the water slide that cut his son's life short being allowed to exist as a legally operated death trap. He realized his error after the incident and changed to supporting stronger government regulation. If only he had come to this realization before the incident...
BTW, even Dr Grande says that the state failed Caleb. Well, that very much includes his father, being a representative of the state legislature.
This story has haunted me ever since I first heard it. I feel so awful for him and his family. All for someone else's greed. Horrifying
We watched them testing the full size version long before they opened it, they were launching rafts all over the place
that's crazy! By the built stage, there should only be final tweaks left, surely? All the physics calculations & modelling should be completed in the design phase, no?
This makes me sick to my stomach. How horrible and tragic. Never should have happened. Makes my stomach turn. Rip Caleb!
Jeff Henry was kind of the black sheep of his family. He had a criminal record and had no job skills Sam’s relies solely on the family for support and survival. The water park was the family’s most valuable asset and he wanted to be part of that. He designed this abomination and couldn’t get any manufacturing companies to build it.. most likely because of couldn’t be some safety and the manufacturers wanted to make modifications but Jeff was too arrogant to listen so he designed and built it himself. It’s an even bigger abomination that any charges against him were dropped. This was all about his ego and in my opinion he ruined and shamed the family name and the Slitterbaun name. It was sold
To Cedar Fairs.
Also the state regulators should have stopped this, amid all the countless warning signs, before it eventually went deadly. I realise ‘certain’ politicians don’t like to regulate businesses, but many of these regulations are written in blood for a reason.
@@bishopdredd5349 One of those _certain_ politicians was the victim's own father. He quickly changed his tune after it affected him personally.
I agree with Dr. Grande. This was such a horrible and avoidable tragedy. Families go to amusement parks to have fun and share memories. This memory will probably be impossible to erase from the minds of witnesses and family members. RIP Caleb.
Yeah no kidding, these people make such a huge profit at these things and you'd figure they'd be OVER- designed,, like an elevator or whatever with regulations and inspection and that know how to regulate... Doesn't take much to get a couple trained technicians doing THEIR OWN tests for a day and that pos Widowmaker ride WOULD HAVE NEVER passed inspection...
The show ride equivalent of the Titan submersible. Same sort of "Captain Ahab" principal and the same insane obsession with meeting a goal.
There's no limit to what some people will do for money. This cost a young boys life, a devastated family, criminal charges and $20,000,000. The owners knew the issues, but proceeded anyway. It's too often all about the money. 😢
that's why we have regulation, which Kansas failed at miserably
These are the incentives that capitalism creates, people more interested in cutting corners for money, rather than put value on human safety and life.
@@Krooksbanewhenever “capitalism” is blamed.. I picture a commie touting communism..
Caleb family was greedy..... Didn't mention that
This is why regulations are important. You cannot trust that every business owner is going to do the right thing and not get carried away with some vanity project.
Not only can you not trust them, but you have to expect that they'll be negligent and irresponsible
all this for Money$, and Ego.
The fantasy of "self-regulation". The dark irony is that Caleb's father was one of the officials who believed in that fantasy and prevented actual regulations from being put in place (until after it personally affected him, that is).
@MLennholm Oh please! Won't govt save us?! We need them to run our lives!
@@humansvd3269 LOL, the legislature not letting greedy, profit driven businesses kill us is the same as running our lives? What a good little corporatist shill you are 😂
What’s worse is that one of Caleb’s brothers witnessed the aftermath. That would be highly traumatic for anyone to see but as a child, seeing your sibling die in such a gruesome way…I don’t know how you could ever forget that. No one should have to remember their loved one that way.
Also surprised, given that Caleb’s dad was a legislator, that this didn’t get pursued further.
They did get the "self inspection" law changed in the state.
The thought of his brother witnessing this haunts me
Rides in parks and fairs are a danger. Regular inspection by qualified individuals is often missing. So many states are overly fixated on revenue instead of safety.
All you need is very basic classes in physics to see that thing was dangerous. The forces and speed generated and he installs metal nets? So many things here seem totally crazy.
Always profit over saftey. Although all these companies have H&S at the top of their company pyramid. Makes me laugh.
@@andreakarlsson7927 This. I took very basic physics classes in high school and agree that that's all you'd need to be able to tell that this design was a very, very bad idea. It's a travesty that the owner didn't face criminal charges, because he _had_ to know.
Caleb's father was one of those officials who vehemently opposed regulations as it went against his principles of 'free enterprise'. He only started caring about safety regulation after he was personally affected by the lack of it. In other words, a typical Republican.
@@MLennholmAre you always this goofy or are you just trying it on for size? ;0)
I don't go to theme parks to seek a thrill. It has always seemed to me to be dangerous. I hate being out of control. Makes flying in commercial jets kind of scary.
The odds of actually getting killed on something such as a roller coaster is actually extremely low.
It’s like 1 in 24 million (similar to Lightning which is around 1 in 1 million) LOL
You’re far more likely to be killed on the way to the park (car accident death is around 1 in 100)
Anyone can see just by looking at this ridiculous contraption that it’s a death trap. It should never have been allowed.
This whole things reminds me a lot of OCEANGATE and STOCKTON RUSH
The whole problem was in the metal hoops. It’s obviously hazardous and induces negligence independent from any expert opinion. Anyone can foresee the dangers of hitting one of those after a weight miscalculation.
Exactly! Hitting it at a high rate of speed 68 mph no less!? Most coasters at Disneyland shockingly only go like 35mph they add extra stuff to make it feel faster. This was definitely a disaster waiting to happen.
I wonder why the raft wasn't designed as a roller-coaster car, which is bound to a track and cannot fly off its rails.
It wouldn't be a water slide then. They stupidly wanted to do with a water slide what is only possible with a roller coaster.
My thought exactly… same thrill
Because the man that owned and built this wanted this ride to specifically be “the world tallest water slide” and not a roller coaster. Thats why they never considered it to be fixed to a track.
I hate that his brother was Literally right behind him when this happened and saw everything first hand. Horrific. Imagine being btold your ride is unsafe and may kill someone and you do nothing...
How utterly heartbreaking
Jeff Henry sounds like an earlier version of Stockton Rush, the OceanGate CEO.
The original Sky Screamer waterslide at the World Waterpark at West Edmonton Mall was removed & replaced with 2 new slides because people with enlarged hearts or heart conditions could pass out & drown in the splashdown pool from the speed of going down the slide.
That must have been horrendous! Poor Kaleb:(
I've never heard of a ride where you'd have to 'weigh in' and then get a cumulative weight total before you could even step on the ride. How odd. I sure wouldn't trust it.
It is rare, there are often height limits and maximum weight limits. The problem here was not that a cumulative minimum was needed but that they put a significantly lighter person at the front, if he'd been placed in the middle it would have probably been fine.
Sidenote: A 'Schlitterbahn' is originally an icy strip on a snowy surface created by children by repeatedly sliding along with their regular shoes.
Yes ,it means a sliding track in German originally made like that by children using their shoes to make it !
Horrific story, I can't imagine the parents watching this happen and having to go through the grief of losing a child afterwards.
I wouldn't wish that even on my enemies !
That's honestly such a cute name for a waterpark, and a cute idea for a word in general. I don't have a word for that in any of the languages I speak. 😂
@@Nylak-Otter Yes, the German language is very literal and descriptive in
many of it's words especially the nouns !
For example , Auf Wiedersehen which is goodbye, literally means ,"see you again" in German .
00:29 🎢 Schlitterbahn, a water park chain, opened a Kansas City park in 2009, debuting the Verrückt, designed by Jeff Henry, touted as the world's tallest and fastest waterslide.
01:13 🛠 The ride's design lacked engineering expertise; testing involved a trial-and-error approach with models and sandbags as passengers.
04:25 🎢 On August 7, 2016, 10-year-old Caleb Schwab's tragic death occurred when the raft he was in flew off the slide, leading to his decapitation by a metal hoop.
06:24 🚨 Prior to Caleb's death, 11 incidents with injuries on the Verrückt occurred, including instances where rafts went airborne; park employees were alleged to have downplayed these incidents.
07:41 ⚖ Legal action ensued: indictments for involuntary manslaughter, aggravated battery, and other charges against park officials and creators, though eventually dismissed due to inadmissible evidence.
09:17 🤔 Analysis on Jeff Henry's culpability: while lacking engineering credentials, he rushed the ride's construction, ignored safety warnings, and appeared reckless, potentially guilty of negligent homicide.
11:51 🤷 Opinions lean towards Jeff Henry's probable guilt of negligent homicide; he pursued a record-breaking ride without proper training, disregarding safety warnings and fostering a culture of secrecy about ride incidents.
13:18 🚧 The tragedy highlights lax self-regulation in the water park industry, exposing flaws in oversight and safety prioritization, despite public assumptions of state monitorin
I am surprised how the water park was allowed to function without proper checking. That poor boy and his family.
The party of deregulation
wow, they didn't go to jail???!!!!... crazy
I live in Kansas and I am horrified at the lack of accountabilityGod bless his family and anyone who witnessed this absolutely avoidable tragic accident. Sweet you boy I know you are resting in peace❤
Love to his family❤❤❤
Great analysis as always Dr. Grande. I was hoping you say Jeff was guilty of negligent homicide. The fact that he had an engineering company tell him the ride was not safe and his solution was to add a net is unbelievably reckless. It sounds like they had already increased the height of the second hill when they got that report. This probably could have been avoided if they listened to the engineers. They probably could have increased the height or length of the second hill again so there was zero chance of the raft catching air. Instead they added a net. They really should have pursued charges against him.
I don't think I've been near a water slide since this incident. I can't even imagine what the women in his raft experienced.
Thanks for the upload, Dr. Grande! Your true fans love your humour and sarcasm. January 5 is National Whipped Cream Day, the Feast of the Air Spirits, National Bird Day, Apple Howling Day, National Screenwriters Day, and National Keto Day.
Your post inspired me to look up what Apple Howling is. My goodness there are some interesting yet nutty people around.
@@It-is-me...Melsie Definitely!
@@It-is-me...MelsieIt's an.old pagan practice. 😊
what'd grande say, 500 pound weight for three people to not get airborn, dang that's a lot per person... i imagine it's a lot of kids who are going on the ride and to compensate it'd have to be some large people in the other two spots, which would be a weird weight distribution
Yeah for sure, when they shift the weight towards the back of the raft, it increases potential engergy
The problem was that the lard-a$ses sat in the back which served to launch little Caleb in the air at the crest of the hill.
I cannot imagine seeing my child’s decapitated head rolling around the ride. Ugh.
Or anyones. I pity any person who witnessed that horror. But yeah, your own child that's a whole new level of horror.
Inappropriate, but this made me chortle 😂
There was a similar incident in Altoona IA at a water park called Adventure land. This involved a tube ride where a family could enter a tube and it would move them along swift moving water and under water falls ect.... The incident occurred when a family of 5 entered a raft that had insufficient air pressure in the air bladder that surrounded the tube. At one point in the ride this caused the raft to become stuck and flip over trapping the riders under the tube. This resulted in the death of one of the young sons in the family and nearly caused that death of another. Staff had been warned about using rafts that appeared to lack proper inflation.
These places are often staffed by students doing it as a summer job. They are often poorly trained but the bigger factor is that they lack the experience and confidence to stop things that don't seem right, especially if supervisors are pushing them to keep up the throughput of people (hence money).
@@nlwilson4892 I agree with you 100% !
Years ago , I was on a Roller Coaster that started moving with no safety harness... A teenage employee whipped the harness down at the last second.... I'm sure, I would have died .
I remember this case specifically for the cruelty of people commenting about it online. 99% of the comments on the news page where I saw the story were bad puns and people outright mocking Caleb and his family. I still can't comprehend why people would derive pleasure from the death of a child.
many people take a flippant stance on these stories as a common defense mechanism against the subject matter affecting them. it's actually a good defense mechanism when you take out the online factor.
I don't think those types of comments are sincere. Those people are not thinking deeply about it, which allows them to make light of it. I just hope the family doesn't read those comments!
@@ManCheetah294People: Always comment as if the family members of the victims are going to read it, because sometimes they do. Be as respectful when commenting as you would want people to be if the victim was your friend or loved one. If you HAVE to joke and mock the victim to handle other people's tragedy, don't write a comment. Joke and mock the victim in the privacy of your own mind, if you find it helpful to you for some reason. There is no excuse for doing that online. None. Ever.
@@ManCheetah294stupid excuse.
@@Wanderlust246 not really. Edit: what i mean to say is that there is evidence that thisprotects humans from trauma, so its always been a social thing that has happened. The internet is what's new.
I think about those sisters who rode with him a lot...they of course left with their lives, but I cannot imagine the horror of what they witnessed and the chaos that ensued...
This was my nightmare. I remember going to water parks as a kid/teen and then going up those tall waterslides. I became petrified and could not stop thinking about going over the side or getting a limb jammed. Of course, I could not back out due to peer pressure, LOL, but I hated every second of it... except the end where you get a huge adrenaline rush and a sense of relief. But I think I'm now afraid of heights as a result of that. Or, at least high places with no hand rails or walls that reach at least to my chest.
I live in KC and remember when they opened this slide. I also remember thinking - this is a terrible idea. And, not that he'd have any reason to know this, but listening to Dr G pronounce "Olathe" incorrectly gave me a bit of a giggle.
The fact that the waterside was not created by engineers is literally insane.
I lived in Kansas City when this happened. One of the principal contractors of the water park built my subdivision in North Kansas City. I was just telling friends about this incident.
Proud graduates of the Mulholland School Of Engineering. What could go wrong? (Referring to the St. Francis Dam debacle. That would make a great subject for you, assuming you haven't already done it.)
This was always one of the most absolutely heartbreaking stories. This poor precious family- just wanted to provide their children with some fun. This beautiful little boy, all of it is soul crushing 😔
I have to wonder if the so-called authorities had their palms greased to turn a blind eye.
This makes me want to crawl out of my own skin with the horror of it. 😱
Ironic that one of the people who might have had the power to require waterparks to be inspected was Caleb's own father who was a Kansas State Representative. I wonder how involved he was in changing the self inspection requirements. At least Caleb died so quickly he didn't suffer any pain.
The weight distribution was the reason for this horrific accident. 2 sisters weighing 425lbs combined and poor Caleb at 75lbs sitting in the front. I bet if he was sitting in the middle it would’ve been fine. Every time I’ve been on a small aircraft they always seat passengers according to their weight.
Weight seems to be the common denominator in amusement park fatalities.
Yeah, when the weight of the raft was shifted to the back, it's potential energy goes up
Their weight is a crime
From riding in canoes I know what you mean. Whwn we're standing on the ground gravity appears to work on us all the same but weight matters when it comes to buoyancy.
Anybody think Dr. Grandes too scared to talk bout Klaus Schwab?
What a horrifically tragic story. Deepest condolences to the Schwaub family. What unimaginable pain they've endured. 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽❤️❤️❤️
In German, a “Schlitterbahn” is an ice or snow-packed tobbaggon or sled run. It is not a “slippery road.” And you badly mispronounced “verückt.” Interesting, how you pronounce Spanish perfectly, but anglicized all of the other languages, Grande!
Poor boy😢
So sad 😢
Talking for i'm sure an already scared 10 year old child regarding the safety of a ride, there is ZERO EXCUSE to not make sure ALL Calculations and maintence are executed to reduce risk to the smallest extent possible.
If this fails, the people AND GOVERNMENT should be held 100 percent accountable and serve as an EXAMPLE to others to not attempt to cut corners.
This is really unexcusable. The 10 year old put his trust in those older to keep him safe and they were simply negligent taking resulting in a horrific death.
I admire you a lot Dr. Todd Grande. You are a very smart and nice doctor. I have bipolar disorder and I never forget to take my medications because it keeps me stable.
Who needs regulations. The unseen hand of the market will self-regulate. Oh wait, the unseen hand can't bring back dead loved ones?
Having a German name may have also misled people, causing them to assume the ride was designed and engineered by a German company, which is often considered the "gold standard" for this. I think the Govt should investigate whether using that German name was just a coincidence or a deliberate spoof to create false trust.
Good point. Given Germany's reputation for precision and detail it would certainly give the impression that every scenario had been thought of and taken into account. The name could certainly give that impression.
I have had a German Engineering Benz and BMW, THE WORST most problematic vehicles ever, total overpriced UNDERENGINEERED S/BOXES
@@lot6129 Perhaps, but fact is Germans do have the reputation for having precision and accuracy whether that's deserved or not.
Can you please analyze the case of the boy missing in Idaho, Michael Joseph Vaughan ? The police seemed sure the neighbor killed him but the case has stalled…
I agree. I was looking for updates just a few weeks ago.
How ironic that Caleb’s father was a representative of Kansas State Legislature wholly responsible for amending the law only after HIS son’s death. All the other injuries went unnoticed. Had this ride never been allowed to operate or shut down at the first sign of trouble- Caleb would be alive today.
We have seatbelt laws, yet these rides arent dont have to pass any safety standards for rides?
Installing metal hoops eas dumb.
Not a single mention of how Caleb's father was responsible for the lax regulations that allowed this ride to operate legally? You mention how the state failed Caleb but don't mention how this includes his own father (being a state lawmaker who vehemently opposed regulations). You usually don't shy away from taking pot-shots like that for some dark comedic effect, but I guess it's different when it involves someone from _that_ side of the isle...
What a tragic occurrence.😢😢
The two sisters weighted HOW MUCH? 275???? That's too much even in pounds
It is sad that a human life had to be taken so changes were made. A young boy’s life. Horrible.
"The Horror! The Horror!" I "Heart of Darkness in Kansas"
Near the end of Joseph Conrad's famous short story "Heart of Darkness" (1902), the main character "Kurtz" admits to what he has witnessed while living in central Africa and operating in conjunction with European colonial authorities. We don't need to visit Africa, nor do we need to realize that "we aren't in Kansas anymore" to recognize the horror of this incident. It's simply unimaginable that Caleb's parents be aware of such events, let alone witness any of it. But the key moments for us is the strange "double-faced" nature of the setting. Here we witness a sunny day where fun is at the top of the agenda. No one was feeling the tension that comes from life-threatening circumstances. It was all about fun until it wasn't. And it wasn't any fun the moment Caleb was airborne, nor was it fun to watch what happened once he shuffled off this mortal coil. Thank you.
I remember this happening. It haunts me whenever I think of it. Tragic
All I had to do was see that sweet little boy in his little league picture. I haven’t heard the story. I’ll have to pass. Based on comments, facts are horrible. Haunting.
I have to admit I was a bit salty about this case for a while since I was misinformed. I didn't realize Caleb and the 2 other passengers DID in fact meet the weight requirements for the raft. I was always under the assumption the employees cut corners and didn't weigh Caleb and the 2 passengers and that the ride was unnecessarily demolished due to negligence on the employees part in 1 freak accident. Didn't realize not only that the weight requirement was hit (generously so as it turns out!) but that the construction of the ride was marred with cut corners and narcissism and that there had been several injuries prior. This changes my whole perspective on the matter. What a mess.
This is the worst story I have ever watched you analyze for us. Still a thorough job, just sorry you had to know it existed.
I can’t imagine the grief a parent would feel after seeing their child decapitated. It’s bad enough a child dieing, let alone in this manner. You would never get this image out of your head.
As a parent I don't think I would survive after something like this .
A parent lives for their children and losing my child like this would be unbearable!
they didnt't see it, staff held them back