A Child Has Been Killed On The World’s Biggest Water Slide

The ten-year-old son of a United States senator has died on a water slide dubbed the tallest in the world. Caleb Thomas Schwab, the son of Republican Scott Schwab, died after riding the 168ft Verruckt ride at the Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas on Sunday. The slide, which can reach speeds of 65mph, allows adventure seekers to "strap into a three-person raft that will slide down a jaw dropping 168 foot, 7 inch structure, only to be blasted back up a second massive hill and then sent down yet another gut wrenching 50 foot drop". The media was alerted to the tragedy when police chief Terry Zeigler tweeted that officers are on the scene of an accidental death at the park, which has since been closed.

Park is shut down, multiple agencies on scene pic.twitter.com/xDxEjhR9jm

— Megan Brilley (@meganbrilley) August 7, 2016

“Michele and I want to thank the Olathe and Kansas City, Kansas, communities and all our friends and family for their outpouring of support and compassion as it relates to the sudden loss of our son, Caleb Thomas Schwab,” the family said in a statement. An investigation has been launched into the incident.