The official autopsy findings for 10-year-old Caleb Schwab
According to forensic evidence and eyewitness testimonies integrated into the state's investigation:
The investigation revealed that the Verrückt had a troubled history long before Caleb Schwab’s death. The ride had been delayed from opening in 2014 due to numerous glitches, including early tests where rafts—even those carrying sandbags—flew off the slide. In response, the creators added more netting, Velcro seatbelts, and weight restrictions, but these measures proved to be fatal stopgaps. Eventually, a grand jury indictment described the slide as a "deadly weapon" that had injured at least 13 people—including minors—in the roughly six months it was operational. The indictment alleged that the ride "was never properly or fully designed to prevent rafts from going airborne" and that the boy's death was a "foreseeable and expected outcome". caleb schwab autopsy report
: Caleb’s death was the result of severe design flaws and corporate negligence, as evidenced by forensic findings and subsequent criminal investigations. 2. The Autopsy and Cause of Death
The tragic death of 10-year-old Caleb Schwab on August 7, 2016, remains one of the most harrowing events in the history of the American amusement park industry. While riding —the 168-foot-tall water slide at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City, Kansas —Caleb suffered fatal injuries when his three-person raft became airborne. The official autopsy findings for 10-year-old Caleb Schwab
The legacy of Caleb Schwab's death also led to significant changes in state law. Before the accident, Kansas was one of several states that did not require permanent amusement park rides to be inspected by a state inspector. Following the tragedy, lawmakers unanimously approved stricter, annual inspection requirements for amusement park rides.
However, information from the autopsy was presented as evidence during the 2018 preliminary hearing for the criminal case against Schlitterbahn’s operations director, Tyler Austin Miles, and Verruckt’s designer, John Timothy "Jeff" Henry, co-owner of Schlitterbahn. Eventually, a grand jury indictment described the slide
It is essential to note that Caleb Schwab was a child. His death was sudden, violent, and entirely preventable. Repeatedly circulating requests for his autopsy report can cause ongoing harm to his parents and siblings. Scott Schwab has spoken publicly about how the tragedy galvanized his family’s faith and focus on public service, but he has also described the "unimaginable horror" of learning the specific details of his son’s injuries during the criminal trial.
While initial police reports cited a "fatal neck injury," the full details revealed by investigators and the coroner were far more severe.
In 2018, a grand jury issued indictments charging the park’s corporate entity, owner Jeffrey Henry, designer John Schooley, and park operations manager Tyler Miles with multiple felony counts, including involuntary manslaughter, aggravated battery, and interference with law enforcement. The prosecution argued that management knew the ride was deadly, citing internal memos and a history of minor injuries on the slide that were actively covered up.