Kansas park reopens after boy's water slide death

Schlitterbahn Waterpark reopened Wednesday as the investigation continued into the death of a 10-year-old boy who was decapitated on the Kansas park's signature water slide.

Schlitterbahn had been closed since Caleb Schwab died Sunday while riding on the "Verrückt," billed as the world's tallest water slide. The slide will remain closed for the season, officials at the park in Kansas City said.

Police said Caleb died of a neck injury. The Associated Press, citing a source familiar with the investigation who requested anonymity, reported Wednesday that Caleb was decapitated.

The slide starts from a point 168 feet off the ground. Rafts carrying two to three people race at speeds up to 65 mph down the ramp, roaring back up a hill before descending 50 feet into a pool. Elapsed time from start to finish: less than 20 seconds.

Jun Zhuang, a professor of industrial and systems engineering at the University at Buffalo, told USA TODAY it is virtually impossible to test a slide for safety given all the possible combinations of raft riders, weight distribution, weather and wind conditions.

"The newly designed tallest, fastest, steepest water slides ... attain higher and higher speeds and become more and more dangerous," Zhuang said.

Kansas water park closed after boy dies on 'insane' slide

The design process starts with many assumptions, including how securely people are restrained, and in the end a rider is a "lab mouse" because conditions vary so widely, he said.

Paul Oberhauser, of Omaha, told KCTV5 he was on the slide with his son and a friend July 26 when his shoulder strap broke loose at the bottom of the first hill. He said he grabbed a handle on the raft and hung on for the rest of the ride. His wife, Erin, caught the ride on video.

The couple reached out to Schlitterbahn with their concerns, but did not hear back. The park did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the incident.

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Less than two weeks later, the Oberhausers heard the tragic news about Caleb Schwab.

"It was just surreal to know we were just there, just on it. I have pictures still on my phone," Erin Oberhauser said. "We got to be lucky and (our son) got to go home with us unlike the Schwabs' (son). Our prayers are with them and our hearts break for them."

Even if slides are designed carefully and maintained and inspected regularly, no big water slide is 100% safe, Zhuang said.

"Because of the incredibly large accelerations, similar effects as whiplash in auto accidents can occur," Zhuang said. "There needs to be extensive testing to understand and mitigate these large accelerations, and standards must be updated."