Caleb Schwab Autopsy Report ((top)) «2025-2026»

On August 7, 2016, Caleb Schwab was visiting Schlitterbahn in Kansas City for "Elected Officials Day" with his family. He boarded the Verrückt—the world’s tallest waterslide at 168 feet—in a three-person raft with two women.

Caleb Schwab was a 10-year-old boy who died in August 2016 at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City, Kansas. He was riding Verruckt, which was then the world's tallest water slide.

Initially, police reports characterized the incident as a "fatal neck injury". However, later investigative details and statements from those familiar with the case clarified the gruesome nature of the accident. Key Findings from the Investigation Caleb Schwab: What We Know About the Water Slide Death

while riding the "Verrückt" water slide at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City on August 7, 2016. caleb schwab autopsy report

Caleb was seated in the front of a three-person raft. As the raft crested the slide’s second hump, it became airborne.

However, as the investigation unfolded, law enforcement officials and the Wyandotte County coroner’s office confirmed a much more gruesome reality:

The legal fallout was contentious. In 2018, a grand jury handed down indictments: On August 7, 2016, Caleb Schwab was visiting

: The initial, official statement from the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department listed the cause of death as a fatal neck injury .

sustained while riding the "Verrückt" water slide at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City, Kansas, on August 7, 2016. Autopsy and Cause of Death Official Determination:

[168-Foot Main Drop] \ \ \_______ [Second Crest: Raft Goes Airborne] \ ▲ \ |--- (Collision with Metal Hoops & Netting) \_______ [Splash Pool] 1. Airborne Trajectory Risks He was riding Verruckt, which was then the

The investigation revealed significant flaws in the design and management of the ride.

The autopsy report, performed by the Wyandotte County Coroner’s office, confirmed the cause of death as a .

: The two adult women in the raft with him suffered minor facial injuries from the impact with the netting. 3. Engineering and Safety Failures

The final autopsy report concluded the cause of death as a . The report also confirmed that the raft’s total weight—545 pounds from the two women combined with Caleb—exceeded the 400-pound minimum weight requirement, dispelling early theories that insufficient weight had caused the raft to lose momentum.