Spurred on to build the tallest and fastest Waterslide in the world by a Travel Channel show about Waterparks, the owners of the Kansas City Schlitterbahn Waterpark designed and built the Verrückt Waterslide in record time. A net enclosed the ride and on its third Summer Season a 10 Year Old boy died on impact with that netting mid-ride. We look at how design decisions, subsequent modifications and assumptions made this incident inevitable...but also how it could have easily been prevented.
With John Chidgey.

News Articles:

Water slide that decapitated 10-year-old boy
Kansas water slide death: 10yo son of Scott Schwab killed
Women with boy in ill-fated waterslide raft speak out
Trial of Schlitterbahn maintenance workers opens | Kansas City Star
World’s tallest waterslide
Court Grants Permission To Destroy World’s Tallest Waterslide
Designer of Schlitterbahn slide that decapitated boy arrested at DFW
Kansas lawmakers approve amusement ride law following child’s death
Kansas water slides remain closed after new law
Verrückt water slide timeline of events
Charges laid over tragic death of Caleb Schwab on world’s tallest waterslide

Commentary Articles:

Verruckt Waterslide Death Result Of Poor Weight Distribution?
The making of Schlitterbahn’s Verruckt water slide: Too much, too fast?
Schlitterbahn’s Tragic Slide (ORIGINAL)
Schlitterbahn’s Tragic Slide (ARCHIVED)

Legal Articles:

Sisters Represented by SJB Reach Verruckt Settlement
$20M Settlement Reached In Verrückt Water Slide Tragedy - Legal Reader
Murder charges dismissed over decapitation of Caleb Schwab on ‘world’s tallest waterslide’ - ABC News
‘Good old boys’ acquitted over 10-year-old boy’s death on ‘world’s tallest’ waterslide - ABC News

Videos of the Ride:

World’s Tallest Water Slide Now Open to Public
Verrückt Water Slide at Schlitterbahn Kansas City

ASTM:

ASTM International
ASTM International Safety Standards for Amusement Rides & Devices published by Committee F24
F2291 (2006 Edition) (PDF)

General Information:

Schlitterbahn Kansas City
Schlitterbahn
ProSlide - Hydro Magnetic

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Episode Gold Producers: 'r', Steven Bridle, Kellen Frodelius-Fujimoto and Steve Branam.
Episode Silver Producers: Mitch Biegler, Shane O'Neill, Jared Roman, Katharina Will, Chad Juehring, Ian Gallagher and Jamie Russell.

With thanks to Rosie Symes for the topic suggestion.