Family of boy killed on Kansas waterslide settles with park
The Schwab family remains determined to hold all those responsible for this tragedy accountable, while doing all they can to ensure this never happens again to another family," the family's attorneys said in an emailed statement later Wednesday, adding that "in the near future we will be allowed to disclose further specifics regarding the settlement.
An attorney for two women injured with Caleb Schwab during the ill-fated ride last Aug. 7 on the "Verruckt" slide — German for "insane" — said Wednesday's action does not resolve any potential liabilities against the park's operators by his clients.
Authorities said the Kansas City, Kansas, police investigation of Caleb's death has been turned over to the Kansas Attorney General's Office, which said through spokeswoman Jennifer Montgomery that it has accepted the case for review at the request of local prosecutors.
Kansas is known for its light regulation of amusement park rides, and the Texas-based company that operates Schlitterbahn lobbied legislators to help ensure that it remained responsible for its own inspections.
Kansas mandates annual inspections of permanent amusement park rides but allows private inspectors to do the checks, rather than requiring a state inspection.