World's Tallest Waterslide To Be Demolished After Death Of Kansas Rep's Son

KANSAS CITY (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A Kansas water park operator says the world's tallest waterslide will be demolished following the death of a state lawmaker's 10-year-old son on the ride in August.

Schlitterbahn Waterparks and Resorts said in a statement Tuesday that the "Verruckt'' ride at the Schlitterbahn park in Kansas City, Kansas, will be permanently removed once an investigation into the Aug. 7 death of Caleb Thomas Schwab, son of Kansas Rep. Scott Schwab, is complete.

Two women also on the ride were injured.

A person familiar with the investigation has told The Associated Press that Caleb was decapitated. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because that person was not authorized to speak publicly about the tragedy.

Verruckt riders had to be at least 54 inches tall. They climbed 264 steps to get to the top, and descended in 100-lbs, multi-person rafts.

A co-owner and designer told USA Today in 2014 they used roller coaster calculations to design the ride, but it didn't translate well to a waterslide.

Verruckt is German for "insane.'' Rafts on the ride made a 17-story drop at speeds of up to 70 mph.

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