KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The vision of Schlitterbahn co-owner Jeff Henry, Verrückt hit the drawing board in 2012, in part to impress audiences of a Travel Channel reality show.
The waterslide began taking shape in Kansas City, Kansas, and by 2014, was certified “World’s Tallest Waterslide” by Guinness World Records.
Its delayed opening in July of 2014 was much hyped and drew national attention. Just a bit over two years later, it would draw national attention a for tragic reason: the death of 10-year-old Olathe boy Caleb Schwab.
An almost immediate criminal investigation would follow with a state grand jury returning indictments against Henry and others on a variety of issues including design flaws, failure to use standard engineering procedures, and a lack of expertise that led to Caleb’s death.
In this special report from FOX4’s John Holt, the history, the hype, and the ultimate outcome of the now closed deadly attraction is chronicled, as the developers await trials on murder and manslaughter. All through the powerful eyes and voice of Caleb’s dad, and the family’s journey forward.
See the full report in the video player above.