The designer of the waterslide on which a 10-year-old was decapitated in 2016 has been arrested after returning to the United States from China.
Caleb Schwab was killed while riding the Verrückt waterslide at Schlitterbahn waterpark when the raft he was on became airborne after passing over a bump, causing Schwab to be decapitated when his neck connected with a metal hoop.
According to ABC News, the US Marshalls‘ North Texas Fugitive Task Force took John Schooley, 72, into custody at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on charges of second-degree murder, aggravated battery, and aggravated endangering of a child.
The news follows on from last week’s arrest of Jeff Henry, the co-owner of the Schlitterbahn waterpark. The park’s director of operations, Tyler Austin Miles, is facing charges of involuntary manslaughter, aggravated endangerment of a child and aggravated battery.
The indictment paints a very bleak picture of negligence on the behalf of Schooley and Henry, who appeared to have built the extremely ambitious ride with a minimum of design-time or testing, with the sole goal of impressing the TV show Xtreme Waterparks.
According to the indictment, a consultant told the park that the ride should include a minimum age limit of 16, but, at the last minute, Henry and Schooley decided to abandon the limit, covering up the warning signs with stickers.
