World’s tallest water slide to close after 10-year-old boy was killed

The world’s tallest water slide will be demolished after a 10-year-old boy was killed riding it, park operators have said. The 51-metre ride, at the Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City, has been closed since the tragedy on August 7 and will close once the investigation into what went wrong is finished. Caleb Thomas Schwab, the son of a U.S. politician, was reportedly decapitated in the horrific accident. The ride, called Verruckt, which is German for “insane”, features multi-person rafts that make a 17-storey drop and can hit speeds of 70mph.

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Schlitterbahn Waterparks and Resorts statement

Riders were required to be at least 4ft 6in tall and were harnessed in with two nylon seatbelt straps while holding ropes inside the raft. Schlitterbahn Waterparks and Resorts said in a statement: “In our 50 years of providing an environment for families and friends to gather, we’ve never experienced this kind of devastating event.” Regulation of amusement rides has come under scrutiny in the US following the death.

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