Advertisement Schlitterbahn will permanently close, take down Verruckt water slide Caleb Schwab, 10, killed on slide in August Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Schlitterbahn announced Tuesday that the Verruckt water slide at the Kansas City, Kansas, theme park will be permanently closed and taken down after a death of a young boy last summer. Caleb Schwab, 10, the son of a Kansas state lawmaker, was killed on a trip down the slide in August. The Texas-based theme park chain said in a statement that the water slide will be dismantled as soon as the investigation into Schwab’s death is complete. The company said it would build something in the water slide’s place, but it will announce that at a later date. Verruckt opened with great fanfare in 2014 and was billed as the world’s tallest water slide. The opening was delayed while the slide underwent additional safety tests. Michael Rader, the attorney for the Schwab family, said he has been working with Schlitterbahn and its attorneys on a plan to decommission and eventually tear down the slide. "The slide cannot be torn down until all investigations and potential litigation has concluded," Rader said in a statement to KMBC. Schlitterbahn offered details of its decision in a message on its Facebook page: "All of us at Schlitterbahn have been heartbroken over the tragedy that occurred on Verrückt. In our 50 years of providing an environment for families and friends to gather, we’ve never experienced this kind of devastating event. The safety of our staff and our guests is our top priority. We are parents and grandparents ourselves and many of us have ridden Verrückt with our own children and grandchildren over the years it operated." "Once the investigation is concluded and we are given permission by the court, Verrückt will be decommissioned – closed permanently and the slide removed from the tower. In our opinion, it is the only proper course of action following this tragedy." "We will, at some point in the future, announce what will be built in its place." "We continue to fully cooperate with investigative teams and work with the families, their attorneys and our staff impacted by this accident. As we move forward, we assure everyone who works for us and the community: we remain wholly committed to our Kansas City park and the original vision of Schlitterbahn – providing a great place to work and an environment for families and friends to gather together. "