Two young brothers waited in line for the Verruckt water slide at the Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City. When they arrived at the top of the ride, they were told that together, they did not meet the weight requirements for the ride. So, they separated. One brother rode the ride and waited at the bottom, expecting his younger brother to emerge. Instead, his brother’s decapitated body exited the ride in this horrifying amusement ride accident.
According to a police report, the Velcro straps that were supposed to hold the boy in the tube broke open. This caused the boy to hit his head on the metal support beam that holds the protective netting while traveling at 65 miles per hour. The force of the water slide accident caused the decapitation.
What is worse, Inquisitr reports that the only reason the Verruckt water slide was built in Kansas City was because of the laxer regulations determining water slide design. In other words, the water slide would not have been allowed to operate in any other state because of safety concerns. The ride was shut down after the amusement ride accident, and will remain so for the rest of the season.
What is Amusement Park Negligence?
Appallingly, there are other reports of the ride’s Velcro straps failing, forcing the riders to hold onto the handles along the tube to avoid falling out. This failure to maintain the safety equipment is a form of amusement park negligence, and should have been addressed immediately to avoid an accident. Other amusement ride accidents can be caused by the following:
- Failure to operate the ride properly, which can occur when an employee has not been properly trained
- Mechanical error, which can occur when amusement ride operators fail to inspect and maintain the rides
- Failure to provide warning signs, which would normally advise passengers on the safest practices while on the ride
Due to the high speeds and intensity of the rides, serious injuries can result due to amusement park negligence. This can include brain injuries, amputations, drowning from water rides, and death. Given we have a Schlitterbahn location just an hour outside of Austin, we’re hoping the operators take this as a warning and make the park safer for its customers.
Aaron Allison is an Austin personal injury attorney that has decades of experience helping those who have sustained injuries due to negligence.
