Overview
- Caleb Schwab, 10, was decapitated in 2016 when his raft went airborne on Verrückt’s second hill and struck a metal support within the ride’s netting.
- Engineers later faulted the slide’s design and safety netting as hazardous, noting the designers lacked formal engineering credentials and skipped standard calculations.
- Two women riding with Caleb were injured, and investigators cited factors including uneven raft weight distribution despite the group being just under the posted minimum.
- Schlitterbahn and its former operations director were indicted in 2018, but charges against designers Jeff Henry and John Schooley were dismissed in 2019 due to inadmissible grand jury evidence.
- The park announced Verrückt’s removal in 2016, the Schwab family settled civil claims for about $20 million in 2017, and the facility now operates under new management.