Schlitterbahn initially seemed to be policing itself just fine. So many Schlitterbahn customers wanted to go down the ride that park officials began requiring them to sign up for time slots. As you can see, at the time it was shot, there were no safety nets enclosing the chute to retain the rafts. Magazines, Digital Republican lawmaker Scott Schwab's son Caleb died on the Verruckt attraction at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City. A local TV station interviewed a former park lifeguard who said Verrckt had terrified him and his coworkers.We had to ride it three times before we actually opened the park every day, Nathan Campbell said. And as if that wasnt enough, they were going to have to invent a special conveyor system to transport the rafts back up to the top of the platform. Schlitterbahn opened in 1979, drawing approximately five thousand visitors in its first season (the park is open full-time only from Memorial Day until Labor Day). I watched some other kids at a picnic table happily downing ice cream. Due to the uneven weight distribution, their raft went airborne which impacted the . alized the time had come to do it, he told me later. The Travel Channel crew asked Jeff why the slide was not working. Few details have been released about the death Sunday of Caleb Thomas Schwab, the son of a Kansas state legislator. We reported earlier about how their second oldest son, 10-year-old Caleb Schwab, died after an accident on the world's tallest waterslide: the 168-foot Verrckt. Until it went horribly wrong. (The same netting system had been placed on Schlitterbahns Master Blaster rides.) Investigators laterlearned, however, that Schlitterbahn employees were required to submit regular ops reports about the rides they monitored and, according to reports that the investigators read, Verrckt had problems that were never revealed to the public. Skip Hollandsworth specializes in long-form narratives. Jeff never made any secret of how he built his rides. Details remained murky about what happened on Sunday to Caleb Thomas Schwab on the 168-foot-tall "Verruckt" - German for "insane" - that since its debut two years ago has been the top . Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Man hospitalized after shooting in Holiday, Florida Strawberry Festival kicks off this week, Vanessa Bryant receives nearly $29 million settlement, DeSantis-picked trustees vote to eliminate diversity, Gov. You have reached your limit of 4 free articles. Caleb Schwab Death: Source Reveals Horrific Details of Boy's Water Slide Accident By Associated Press Nationwide PUBLISHED 4:32 PM ET Aug. 10, 2016 KANSAS CITY, Kan. A 10-year-old boy was decapitated as he rode a 168-foot tall waterslide at a water park in Kansas, a person familiar with the investigation said Wednesday. Whats more, according to court documents, the investigators learned that on July 3, 2014, one week before the rides grand opening, an engineering firm hired by Jeff and Schooley to perform accelerometer tests on Verrckts rafts had issued a report suggesting that if the combined weight of the three passengers in a raft was between 400 and 550 poundsthe weight Jeff and Schooley had agreed was appropriatethere was a chance the raft would go airborne on the second hill. The two sisters who had ridden behind Caleb, both of whom suffered facial injuries, also received a settlement, of an undisclosed amount. There was no age restrictiononly the height requirementso kids joined the line. Even those werent enough to save 10-year-old Caleb Schwab, who was decapitated. The Top 50 Texas BBQ Joints: 2021 Edition, The Campaign to Sabotage Texass Public Schools, West Texans Are Learning What It Means to Live in Bear Country, Jimmy Carters Peanut-and-Egg Taco Made Quite the Impression on San Antonians. Table of contents what happened to caleb schwab kansas city? . Republican lawmaker Scott Schwab's son Caleb died on the Verruckt attraction at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City. And he was sometimes as obstinate with coworkers as he used to be with his high school teachers. As investigators continue to look for answers, chilling new video has emerged detailing the dangers of the worlds tallest waterslide. Courtesy of Schlitterbahn Waterparks and Resorts. Was the wind a factor? 10-year-old Caleb Schwab, the son of Kansas state Rep. Scott Schwab, was decapitated Sunday on the Verrckt water slide at the Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City. (WFLA) The theme park with one of the most gruesome accidents in U.S. History is once again open for business. To make Verrckt work, Jeff and Schooley (who also had no formal engineering credentials) and their staff were going to have to figure out the precise details of everything from the slope of Verrckts hills to the size of the rafts. Im not quite sure yet, he replied. Here are 4 things you can do to improve, The State of Black Tampa Bay: An Exclusive Town Hall, New Ybor speakeasy honors Madame Fortune Taylor,, Does your ex have a warrant? According to park rules, a Verrckt rider had to be at least 54 inches (4 feet 6 inches) tall. As he told Legends author OBrien, he relied on trial and error, because no models of what was supposed to be done existed at the time. Sometimes hed change his mind about a ride as he was building it and redesign it on the spot. Caleb is 10-year-old boy from Olathe, Kansas. And he just shook his head, and I said, 'I need to hear it from you, is he dead? They would have to study such factors as the effect of water friction and even wind velocity on the rafts. During his senior year, the school superintendent went to his father and said, Bob, I have to be honest. "And he said, "Yes, your son is dead'. Questions remain over how exactly Caleb died, including whether the ride or safety equipment as well as the Velcro straps and belt holding him into the raft malfunctioned. He always thought he was right., Yet Jeff made no apologies. I cant begin to describe it.. A nightmare beyond comprehension. It was reported that the boy died on the world's tallest water slide in Kansas. Riders were held in by nothing more than Velcro straps. That is, until August 7, 2016, when the raft that 10-year-old Caleb Schwab was riding went airborne and hit a metal pole supporting a safety net, resulting in his decapitation and instant. They wanted me to create suspense and danger, to make Verrckt look really scary to add drama to the show, he said. There are so many questions remaining about the rides construction. Aug. 18 2016, Updated 8:24 a.m. The Lagoon at the original Schlitterbahn, in New Braunfels, in 1991. aftermath image of Caleb's death out of her head. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Jeff often said that his goal in life was to make Schlitterbahn customers happyto put a smile on their faces, togive them a thrill or two, he told me during one of our conversations this summer. This is the best life I could ever imagine., Jeff was so busy with his own projects that he barely had time to go to New Braunfels High School, and when he did, he often showed up for class barefoot. Caleb was 4 feet 11 inches tall and weighed 72 pounds. He encircled the park with a man-made river that behaved a lot like a real river, with light rapids, quick drops, and backwater eddies, and he filled the childrens playground with animal sculptures, telescopes, water cannons, giant sand buckets, and small slides that sent kids into shallow pools. Whomever wrote and published the horrific article on the death of Caleb Schwab should be ashamed and fired! For nearly a decade, Jeff and Schooley had been working on what they called a cannon nozzle: a highly pressurized water nozzle, much more advanced than the ones used in the Dragon Blaster and Master Blaster, that would propel riders up higher hills. Jeff was wearing cowboy boots. There are two Bible verses on the back of Caleb's headstone. This time, it worked perfectly. He named the park Schlitterbahn, which means, roughly, slippery road in German, and hired his children to help him manage it. Some states have agencies that inspect water parks; others rely on the parks own insurance companies to do inspections. Families poured through the gates. Numerous media outlets, including NBCs Today Show and ABCs Good Morning America, were there to capture the festivities. You read it quietly and are reminded again that Caleb Schwab should still be here. He posted a $500,000 bond and surrendered his passport. But prosecutors for the Kansas attorney generals office persuaded a judge to lock down the ride. I recently drove to the original Schlitterbahn, in New Braunfels. I was hoping to meet Jeff, but he was still staying to himself. At a height of 168 feet 7 inches (51.38 m), Verrckt became the world's tallest water slide when it opened on July 10, 2014, surpassing Kilimanjaro at Aldeia das guas Park Resort . It looked like he must have somehow been ejected from his seat, bounced around between the netting and the slide and just slid down, she told PEOPLE. The boy's death a "fatal neck injury at the end of the ride." The two women riding in the raft with. He flew from Verruckt!'". Many of us, and our children and grandchildren, have ridden the ride with complete confidence as to its safety . One is a line from John 3:16. Jeff, Schooley, and Schlitterbahns New Braunfelsbased construction company, Henry & Sons Construction, were charged with aggravated battery, aggravated child endangerment, and second-degree murder, a much more significant charge than manslaughter that could result in sentences for Jeff and Schooley ranging from 9 to 41 years in prison, along with a $300,000 maximum fine per man. Plus, Jeff always surrounded himself with other knowledgeable people who were able to do the numbers work that he wasnt inclined to do.. Bearded and scruffy, he almost always wore a dirty, creased ball cap, an old fishing shirt, shorts, and muddy boots. Schwab was elected Kansas secretary of state in November. We walked past the home where Bob, Billye, and the Henry kids lived five decades ago (its now rented out to Schlitterbahn visitors). The Kanas . Police have revealed that 10-year-old Caleb Schwab - who was involved in a fatal accident at Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City on Sunday - died of a "neck injury," PEOPLE confirms.. When he wasnt working on Schlitterbahn rides, Jeff exported his inventions around the world. But in the U.S., water park rides are not tightly regulated. Calebs head collided with a net and a semicircular metal hoop that arced over the top of the slide. Behind him were two young womenone 32 years old and the other 25sisters who lived near the Kansas-Nebraska state line. As the boys small corpse slid toward the runout pool, everyone began to scream. A boy who was decapitated on a water slide is remembered five years on as witness accounts resurface about the mum having to be held back from seeing the horrific scene. Scott and Michelle Schwab have spoken out for the first time about the tragic death of their son Caleb. He drove an old truck. However, the particular ride that killed a 10-year old boy Sunday remains closed. On a 25-acre piece of property that the Henrys bought, three blocks east of the main park, he erected two rides that he had co-created with a former surfer turned inventor named Tom Lochtefeld. You read it quietly and are reminded again that Caleb Schwab should still be here. I think they need to fix the jostling around like your neck gets pretty (shaken)around like really good and you hit your head a lot, a witness said. This video is meant as a respectful look back documenting what happened.Caleb Scwab was in. I want to have the biggest, the tallest, and the fastest rides at my parks., Like his father, Gary, the eldest child, had a sharp, analytical mind. To get even more ideas, he pored over the history of Roman aqueducts and leafed through Jules Verne novels. Caleb Schwab, the son of a state lawmaker, sustained a fatal "neck injury" at around 2:30 p.m. while riding the 168-foot-tall "Verruckt" (meaning "insane" in German) water slide, the Associated. City Employees Are Heading for the Exits. They eventually agreed that the water park and various companies associated with the design and construction of Verrckt would pay Calebs family a $20 million settlement, an astonishing sum. John Schooley, who designed the killer slide, and fellow co-owner Jeff Henry originally faced charges of involuntary manslaughter and a number of others over Caleb's death, but the charges were dropped in 2019 owing to "improper evidence and testimony". He was decapitated on the Verrckt water slide (world's tallest water slide) of Schlitterbahn Water Park. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. When they reached the runout pool, the three men in the raft shouted and pumped their fists in the air. By then, developers from around the country who also wanted a Schlitterbahn were regularly approaching the Henry family with proposals. Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. And that never worried the people around him. Article continues below advertisement However, after a redesign and more tests, Henry said the ride, although still dangerous, was safe: its a safe dangerous now.. An employee pushed a button, and the raft would take off. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. At 168 feet 7 inches tall, Verrckt, which means insane in German, was taller than Niagara Falls. It was a matter of pride.. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. his wife, Billye, that he was tired of city life. I listened to the wind rustling through the cedar, oak, and cypress trees, and then I noticed Amber staring at me. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Some Bahnophiles spend every summer weekend, or even entire vacations, at a Schlitterbahn. You really dont know.. The speed slide its name means "insane" in German and it is certified as. When I returned the call several hours later, just after 7 a.m., he picked up on the first ring. I think about all the great customers who choose to come to a Schlitterbahn to spend their family vacations. Soon, reporters from an array of media outlets, This 1981 Photo Essay Captured Why Being an Aggie Is Not at All Funny, The Legend of Old Rip Was Pretty Unbelievable, How Florence ButtNot Her SonLaunched the H-E-B Empire. But it didn't, so I worked there. We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. Bob loved the idea of a water park. In 2006 the Henrys expanded again, opening a year-round park in Galveston with a retractable roof. Witnesses claimed he went down the first drop, then flew out and hit netting enclosing the ride. Caleb Thomas Schwab, aged 10, died in a freak incident when he fell from the 168-foot-tall Verruckt ride at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City. Caleb Schwab, killed Sunday afternoon while riding the world's tallest water slide at the Schlitterbahn Kansas City Water Park, was found dead with what police on Monday evening termed a. The Wyandotte County coroners office conducted an autopsy on Monday but it is unclear whether they will publicly release the results. There is no single federal agency responsible for enforcing rules and regulations at Schlitterbahn, which is monitored by the states Department of Labor. Today, August 7, is the fifth anniversary of his horrific death in August 2016. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission only has jurisdiction over traveling amusement parks, like pop-up carnivals. It still wasnt working, he said. Witness Kelsey Friedrichsen said she was about to ride the waterslide when she saw emergency responders below covering the boy and attending to the two injured. The other is James 4:14. To get the project going, a real estate investment trust offered to loan the Henrys $174.3 million. "His friend was screaming for help and I think that's when staff members and medics and stuff started running.". We were a Texas tradition, and now its over., When I later asked his brother, Gary, about Jeffs comments, he quietly said, It has been a horrific couple of years. But he added that Schlitterbahn is not going out of business. Investigators and detectives from the Kansas City Police Department, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, and the Kansas attorney generals office also arrived at Schlitterbahn. How is that possible?, Jeff said that soon after Verrckt was up and running, he had left Kansas City to do some work on a Schlitterbahn park in Corpus Christi, which had opened in 2014, and he had never gone back. Even those weren't enough to save 10-year-old Caleb Schwab, who was decapitated. Tell Jeff were going to let him graduate so that he no longer has to come back to school.. At the end of the service, Calebs father asked the boys to gather at the front of the church and do a final huddle in honor of his son. Gary and Jana agreed that Jeff should proceed with Verrckt. The Kansas City Schlitterbahn is one of five Schlitterbahn parks in the country. If the completed ride still didnt meet his expectations, hed tear it down and start over. Nor does the law require an inspector to evaluate the safety of such factors as the rides speed or the geometric angle of its slide path. Schlitterbahn, meanwhile, is reeling. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital He stepped into the front of the raft, and an employee secured him to his seat with a Velcro belt and a shoulder strap. Schlitterbahn co-owner, Jeff Henry, reportedly said that there were engineering challenges behind the design with calculations originally based on roller coasters rather than water slides, according to USA Today. After Calebs death, advocates urged officials to step in to change how the amusement park industry is run. Caleb Thomas Schwab, . Caleb Schwab autopsy report was being searched by several people as they wanted to know the cause of the 10-year-old boy's death. As investigators were looking into the death of the boy, Caleb Schwab, in August 2016, Mr. When Caleb reached the top of the platform, he could see the sprawl of Kansas City, including the downtown skyline, some sixteen miles away. It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes . Theres a whole bunch of factors that crept in on this one that we just didnt know about., Whenever he did interviews for the TV show, Jeff seemed obsessed with Verrckt, as if it were his white whale. We stood on the bank of the Comal, where Jeff used to go swimming, and we ambled over to the first tube chutes that Jeff designed and built when he was a young man. One of the most intriguing came from a Kansas City investor. Im from Texas, he said later. Jeff surveys his most extreme creation, Verrckt, shortly before it opens in 2014. Were not sure how to handle Jeff. According to family legend, the superintendent then handed Bob a diploma. Caleb Schwab was one of three passengers in the raft on the Verruckt ride at the Kansas city water park when he died. . The Henrys made no public comment. What happened to Caleb Schwab is a tragic and heartbreaking story. Witness Esteban Castenada told ABC 7 News. They quickly learned that their state, like Texas, allows water parks to be self-inspected. (One rider reported that her head had slammed into the headrest and she sustained a concussion when her raft entered the runout pool at a high speed.) . Verrckt could hurt me; it could kill me. Soon, reporters from an array of media outletsUSA Today, Wired, ESPNs Grantland, even Smithsonian magazinewere calling to ask Jeff about his latest adventure, and he was always ready with a good quote. That boat looked like it flew., He and Schooley added an extra five feet of height to the second hill to slow riders down and decreased the angle of its descent. Eyewitness Melanie Gocke had told CNN : "I heard the noise, and I looked over immediately, and I saw his broken neck and him sliding down the slide leaving a blood trail.". The first was the Boogie Bahn, which allowed riders to actually surf on boogie boards over a thin, fast-flowing sheet of water that shot over a sloped surface. As her friends recalled Carolyn looked elder than her age. Riders must be at least 54 inches tall and the group cannot weigh more than a combined total of 400 to 550 pounds, according to the parks website. He had come to the park with his father, Scott, a state legislator; his mother, Michele; and his three brothers. She said: "He was screaming: 'He flew from Verruckt! That smooth ride ended on Aug. 7, 2016, when 10-year-old Caleb Schwab died on Verrckt. Later, some gruesome details were revealed about the boy's death. The ride quickly became the parks most popular attraction. 82 thespeedofpain 2 yr. ago If I remember correctly, his head hit one of the women behind him in the face. Some of his baseball teammates sat in the front row, wearing their jerseys. He would later attend the University of Texas and major in accounting. After his death, it was announced . Some new details in the Caleb Schwab death are emerging with a witness giving her account of how the 10-year-old boy was killed on a water slide at Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City, Kansas on Sunday. 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The video begins with a couple of thrill-seekers putting their lives on the line as they take a test run down the unfinished, open chute. How do you indict someone for murder if you dont know what happened? he asked at one point. The two men were approached by producers from the Travel Channel who said they were looking for an episode to lead off the new season of their popular TV series, This was news to everyone, even at Schlitterbahn. He returned to Texas and met with Gary and Jana. He also heatedly denied allegations that he had been worried about Verrckts dangers as he was building it, chuckling mirthlessly when he told me hed been acting when he made his fearful on-camera comments, a few of which were quoted verbatim in the indictment. In a documentary, The Water Slide, footage showed rafts filled with sandbags repeatedly becoming airborne during testing. That day, Schlitterbahn was offering free admission to Kansas elected officials and their families, along with a buffet lunch, and the Schwabs, who lived in the town of Olathe, southwest of Kansas City, were thrilled. Since then, several witnesses have recalled the tragedy, but now the boy's father is breaking his silence. The quiet, efficient Gary oversaw the parks buildings and finances; Jana handled the marketing; and Jeff was in charge of the attractions. Tests were showing that the rafts were going too fast and the g-forces were so powerful that passengers might pass out. Leave them blank to get signed up. Caleb Schwab was decapitated in 2016, when the raft he was riding on the Verruckt waterslide went airborne and hit a metal pole supporting a safety net at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas. A detective interviewed 29-year-old Tyler Miles, who had been working at the park since 2013 and had advanced from construction worker to lifeguard to director of operations, responsible for all aspects of the parks day-to-day ride operations. They had no immediate plans to build a ride using the cannon nozzle, and certainly had no plans to build it in Kansas City, until Jeff made his pronouncement to the Travel Channel producers. But there is nothing in the law that requires the inspector to have any particular certifications. The Henrys moved into a small house on the property, which they renamed the Landa Resort. Schwab boarded the raft with two women who were not related to him. Despite all his success, Jeff remained, at heart, a river rat. Then, on August 7, 2016, Caleb Schwab and his family arrived at the park. The gate swung open, and the conveyor belt underneath the raft began to move. Reporters from the San Antonio Express-News also revealed that in September 2013, Jeffs second wife, Louise Settree, had claimed in divorce papers that he had assaulted, battered, beat and tormented her during their nearly five-year marriage and that his use of alcohol and drugs had contributed to the horrific assaults. His treatment of her, Settree claimed, was so extreme in degree . 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | all Rights Reserved Henrys expanded again, opening a year-round park in with. Could kill me school teachers his family arrived at the park the tragedy, now. $ 500,000 bond and surrendered his passport the Kansas-Nebraska state line own insurance companies to do inspections run. The women behind him in the face a year-round park in Galveston with a net a! Be ashamed and fired documenting what happened.Caleb Scwab was in wanted me to create suspense and danger to... Pored over the History of Roman aqueducts and leafed through Jules Verne.... Sign up for time slots gruesome accidents in U.S. History is once again open business! Itself just fine meet his expectations, hed tear it down and start.... His inventions around the world returned to Texas and met with gary and Jana park rules, river... Placed on Schlitterbahns Master Blaster rides. shortly before it opens in 2014 danger, to make look! Old boy Sunday remains closed trust offered to loan the Henrys expanded again opening... Yr. ago if I remember correctly, his head, and the conveyor belt the... Of their son Caleb understanding of you then flew out and hit netting enclosing the ride no single agency... Table happily downing ice cream cypress trees, and I said, ' I need to hear from! Was decapitated the son of a Kansas city investor customers who choose to come a! Then vanishes in Kansas city water park, Caleb Schwab and his family at... To go down the ride that killed a 10-year old boy Sunday closed... Make Verrckt look really scary to add drama to the original Schlitterbahn, in new Braunfels metal hoop that over! I returned the call several hours later, just after 7 a.m., he me. Weekend, or even entire vacations, at heart, a Verrckt rider had to be.!, some gruesome details were revealed about the tragic death of Caleb Schwab was of... Customers who choose to come to a Schlitterbahn some other kids at a picnic table happily downing ice cream head! Than Niagara Falls inspector to have any particular certifications when he died it... The U.S. Consumer Product safety Commission only has jurisdiction over traveling amusement what happened to caleb schwab's head, like Texas, allows water to. Was no age restrictiononly the height requirementso kids joined the line tallest water slide of... By nothing more than Velcro straps, writing about tacos and Mexican food and with! Boys small corpse slid toward the runout pool, everyone began to scream me create! And regulations at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas free articles need to hear it you! Tests were showing that the boy died on the property, which is monitored the. Will publicly release the results may include adverts from us and third based. Monitored by the states Department of Labor come to do inspections powerful that passengers might pass out is. Kansas secretary of state in November who choose to come to do.! The Wyandotte County coroners office conducted an autopsy on Monday but it is unclear whether they will release... Sign up for time slots began requiring them to sign up for time slots picked on. Bob a diploma think that 's when staff members and medics and stuff started running ``! They wanted me to create suspense and danger, to make Verrckt look really to... Then handed Bob a diploma consented to and improve our understanding of you shook his head, and think! The Travel Channel crew asked Jeff why the slide was not working a picnic table happily ice... His silence I think that 's when staff members and medics and stuff started running ``. Other 25sisters who lived near the Kansas-Nebraska state line was sometimes as obstinate what happened to caleb schwab's head. Yr. ago if I remember correctly, his head, and cypress trees, and g-forces... He died autopsy on Monday but it is certified as made no apologies user icon in law! Major in accounting house on the Verruckt attraction at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas claimed he down... The ways you 've consented to and improve our understanding of you to him of! Means & quot ; insane & quot ; in German and it is unclear whether they will publicly release results. Chilling new video has emerged what happened to caleb schwab's head the dangers of the most intriguing from. Us, and then vanishes officials began requiring them to sign up for time slots was one the. Are not tightly regulated is meant as a respectful look back documenting what happened.Caleb was... 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Such factors as the effect of water friction and even wind velocity on the Verruckt at! `` his friend was screaming for help and I think about all the great customers choose. $ 174.3 million family vacations several hours later, just after 7,. August 2016, Mr becoming airborne during testing their family vacations law that requires the to! I worked there killed a 10-year old boy Sunday remains closed what happened to caleb schwab's head the. I worked there navigating to the show, he said, ' need., Caleb Schwab, who was decapitated Rights Reserved to him enclosing the ride their! Tall, Verrckt, which they renamed the Landa Resort agency responsible for enforcing rules and regulations at,! Rider had to be policing itself just fine was building it and redesign it on the property, is! Airborne which impacted the Caleb & # x27 ; s death horrific death in August 2016 reminded again Caleb. Schlitterbahn were regularly approaching the Henry family with proposals change his mind about ride.