Water-slide complaints surface after boy dies

Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Kan.

At least two people who in the past year rode on the same Kansas water slide where a 10-year-old boy was killed say Velcro shoulder straps came loose during the raft ride featuring a 17-story drop.

It’s unclear whether the straps on Verruckt – German for “insane” – played any role in Sunday’s death of Caleb Schwab, a Kansas lawmaker’s son. Police and Schlitterbahn Waterpark have yet to explain how Caleb suffered a fatal neck injury on the 168-foot-tall ride, which the park said would be closed for the remainder of the season.

On the 2-year-old water slide certified by Guinness World Records as the world’s tallest, riders sit in multi-person rafts that begin with the steep drop, followed by a surge up a second hill before a 50-foot descent to a finishing pool. Along the way, riders clutch ropes along the inside of the raft.

Riders are harnessed in with two nylon seatbelt-like straps – one that crosses the rider’s lap, the other stretching diagonally across the shoulder. Each strap is held in place by long Velcro strips.

At least two people since have come forward, saying the shoulder straps either snapped or popped off during their time on Verruckt.

Paul Oberhauser told local television station KCTV his shoulder restraint “busted loose” on his Verruckt raft July 26. The Nebraska man said he “just held on,” and a video shot by his wife shows the strap loose at the ride’s end. Oberhauser said he reported the matter to park workers.

Kenneth Conrad told WDAF-TV that during his trip down the water slide last year with a friend, the friend’s shoulder strap came “completely off.” Conrad’s wife snapped a photo at the end of the ride showing the strap missing, and Conrad didn’t file a complaint with the park. The park’s spokeswoman didn’t return messages Tuesday from The Associated Press seeking comment on the claims. In a statement, she said “a limited portion” of the park will reopen at midday today.