Boy Killed on Kansas Water Slide

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An actual engineer on Reddit is horrified by the entire slide. He said the whole trial and error thing is just ludicrous; real engineers would have done all the computations and calculations to figure out velocity, height, speed, etc. without having to resort to "Shit keeps flying off, let's put net on." It is a free fall drop on a raft that isn't attached to a rail or anything, he couldn't get over that. You're just strapped into a raft with Velcro and sent over the edge of a cliff basically.

I'm 08/09/2016 15:58, and I'm and actual engineer (aerospace and mechanical). I've seen the show on how they built the slide, and I was practically yelling at the TV the whole time. I told my kids who watched it good thing it was in Kansas, because I would never in a million years get on something that wasn't designed by trial and error--almost drove me nuts watching it. Point being, correct, real design is essentially done on paper (so to speak, modeling on a computer) long before anything is built. Modeling and simulation with a lot of computation before any ground is broken. The whole approach to this was nuts, but nobody who didn't see the TV show or understand design principles would have known that. I assumed, of course, that there was some oversight or regulatory body who approved the end product. Terrifying how little oversight there is in Kansas.

Makes me wonder who does that for the parks in VA and MD.....?

I watched the show, too. They showed blue prints and computer simulations of the water slide... I don't understand what you're saying as it was apparent in the show that they DID design it on paper and test it with computer modeling....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An actual engineer on Reddit is horrified by the entire slide. He said the whole trial and error thing is just ludicrous; real engineers would have done all the computations and calculations to figure out velocity, height, speed, etc. without having to resort to "Shit keeps flying off, let's put net on." It is a free fall drop on a raft that isn't attached to a rail or anything, he couldn't get over that. You're just strapped into a raft with Velcro and sent over the edge of a cliff basically.

I'm 08/09/2016 15:58, and I'm and actual engineer (aerospace and mechanical). I've seen the show on how they built the slide, and I was practically yelling at the TV the whole time. I told my kids who watched it good thing it was in Kansas, because I would never in a million years get on something that wasn't designed by trial and error--almost drove me nuts watching it. Point being, correct, real design is essentially done on paper (so to speak, modeling on a computer) long before anything is built. Modeling and simulation with a lot of computation before any ground is broken. The whole approach to this was nuts, but nobody who didn't see the TV show or understand design principles would have known that. I assumed, of course, that there was some oversight or regulatory body who approved the end product. Terrifying how little oversight there is in Kansas.

Makes me wonder who does that for the parks in VA and MD.....?

I watched the show, too. They showed blue prints and computer simulations of the water slide... I don't understand what you're saying as it was apparent in the show that they DID design it on paper and test it with computer modeling....

I'm not the engineer- but just because they drew up blue prints doesn't mean the design was sound. It seems like they broke ground, built it, and started sending rafts down it before they realized rudimentary stuff like the second hill needed to be much steeper/higher to slow down the rafts so they didn't just go airborne from the top of the hill.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:ABC in Los Angelos is reporting that the boy was decapitated. If you look closely at the picture in report, there are two yellow tarps -- one on the slide and one next to the slide. One for the head and one for the body? Horrible. He must have hit the netting and it ripped his head off.

http://abc7.com/news/gruesome-details-revealed-in-boys-water-slide-death/1462000/

I am imagining it or is that water red?

It's blood in the water.

I don't see any of this. Am I looking at the wrong photo??

Here's the photo.

If you look at the end of the slide, you see a yellow area, a black area, then a red area. The red area is blood in the water. The slide isn't red. It's cream-colored.

http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/content/wabc/images/cms/080816-wabc-water-slide-pic2-img.jpg

The yellow bag shape is the kid's head.

You mean lying on the gravel? it looks like the chest up, if that's it. Is that it? OMG.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An actual engineer on Reddit is horrified by the entire slide. He said the whole trial and error thing is just ludicrous; real engineers would have done all the computations and calculations to figure out velocity, height, speed, etc. without having to resort to "Shit keeps flying off, let's put net on." It is a free fall drop on a raft that isn't attached to a rail or anything, he couldn't get over that. You're just strapped into a raft with Velcro and sent over the edge of a cliff basically.

I'm 08/09/2016 15:58, and I'm and actual engineer (aerospace and mechanical). I've seen the show on how they built the slide, and I was practically yelling at the TV the whole time. I told my kids who watched it good thing it was in Kansas, because I would never in a million years get on something that wasn't designed by trial and error--almost drove me nuts watching it. Point being, correct, real design is essentially done on paper (so to speak, modeling on a computer) long before anything is built. Modeling and simulation with a lot of computation before any ground is broken. The whole approach to this was nuts, but nobody who didn't see the TV show or understand design principles would have known that. I assumed, of course, that there was some oversight or regulatory body who approved the end product. Terrifying how little oversight there is in Kansas.

Makes me wonder who does that for the parks in VA and MD.....?

They hired an engineering firm to design it. They built and it didn't work. The engineers couldn't get it to work. So the owners fired the engineers, and then they started taking it apart and putting it back together. Finally, they found a design that worked.

The problem with this ride is that the safety harness failed, not that the ride itself is unsafe. The raft didn't come off the second hill. The kid came out of the raft because his harness failed.

[Anonymous]

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Not only that but there are plenty of YouTube videos showing kids on the ride with adults and the ride attendants casually shooting the breeze before the ride starts saying things like "it's not scary!" Nothing like skydiving or whatever where a trained professional rides with you and goes over what can go wrong and how to avoid that. It's a ride ins family park that was bound to kill someone and finally did due to some combination of faulty equipment + bad judgment.

You have to watch a safety video at the bottom before you hike up the stairs.

One of the YouTube videos shows a small boy at the side, waiting for the next raft. He looks no older than 10, himself. He then yells, "Hope you don't die!" to the adults waiting in the raft (guy in back must have a Go Pro on, since everything in front of him is being filmed). The guy in the middle responds, "Me too!" It's scary and weird to hear, considering the present circumstances. Also, the netting and the frames that it is attached to, looks very close to the top of the riders' heads. If poor Caleb flew from the front spot, directly into one of those frames, it is not surprising he was injured in such a horrific manner.

Finally, though, when all of that is said and done, the GoPro footage didn't appear to be all that scary or fast. The weight of the adult male riders distinctly slowed the raft down as it was going up the second hill. I have to imagine that Caleb's raft was seriously underweight and that his harness released. If the Velcro had released on the front passenger in the YouTube video, he probably would've been fine (although it was clear that person was smaller). Without any weight to hold the raft down, tragedy ensued.

More weight doesn't slow you down on those rides. It makes you go faster and higher.

you fail physics 101? Everything falls at the exact same rate, heavy or light. There is more sophisticated engineering going on here than any of us know about, even the engineers because they aren't familiar with that slide.

Unlikely. The slide "engineer" was a high school drop out with no formal training. He was a thrill/fame seeker.

YUP, he has no education what so ever

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-henry-9130501b

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An actual engineer on Reddit is horrified by the entire slide. He said the whole trial and error thing is just ludicrous; real engineers would have done all the computations and calculations to figure out velocity, height, speed, etc. without having to resort to "Shit keeps flying off, let's put net on." It is a free fall drop on a raft that isn't attached to a rail or anything, he couldn't get over that. You're just strapped into a raft with Velcro and sent over the edge of a cliff basically.

I'm 08/09/2016 15:58, and I'm and actual engineer (aerospace and mechanical). I've seen the show on how they built the slide, and I was practically yelling at the TV the whole time. I told my kids who watched it good thing it was in Kansas, because I would never in a million years get on something that wasn't designed by trial and error--almost drove me nuts watching it. Point being, correct, real design is essentially done on paper (so to speak, modeling on a computer) long before anything is built. Modeling and simulation with a lot of computation before any ground is broken. The whole approach to this was nuts, but nobody who didn't see the TV show or understand design principles would have known that. I assumed, of course, that there was some oversight or regulatory body who approved the end product. Terrifying how little oversight there is in Kansas.

Makes me wonder who does that for the parks in VA and MD.....?

They hired an engineering firm to design it. They built and it didn't work. The engineers couldn't get it to work. So the owners fired the engineers, and then they started taking it apart and putting it back together. Finally, they found a design that worked.

The problem with this ride is that the safety harness failed, not that the ride itself is unsafe. The raft didn't come off the second hill. The kid came out of the raft because his harness failed.

The "harness" on this ride is two pieces of Velcro that cross diagonally across your chest. Because no oversight on things like this.

[Anonymous]

Mechanical engineer here. If the velocity is such that a rider cresting the top of the intermediate hill would be launched on an upward trajectory (in other words, he has sufficient upward momentum to overcome the gravity that would push him back down the slide, or "get air"), and the only thing that was supposed to keep him in the raft was the Velcro harness, then why wouldn't the raft itself be launched upward, too, with all the other occupants, on every other ride? I don't think it's held down by anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mechanical engineer here. If the velocity is such that a rider cresting the top of the intermediate hill would be launched on an upward trajectory (in other words, he has sufficient upward momentum to overcome the gravity that would push him back down the slide, or "get air"), and the only thing that was supposed to keep him in the raft was the Velcro harness, then why wouldn't the raft itself be launched upward, too, with all the other occupants, on every other ride? I don't think it's held down by anything.

I have read that the front of rafts frequently catch air on that portion of the slide but the heaviest occupants are in the back and I suppose their weight/Velcro kept them/that part of the raft down. He was in the very front with Velcro straps that were reported to be coming undone on rides that day by earlier occupants.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I heard it reported on the radio that his dad is in the Kansas State Legislature. Can you say "lawsuit"!

It was elected official day at the park, elected officials were allowed in the park at no cost. Why does this translate into a lawsuit?

Please--there will probably be a lawsuit b/c a kid died a horrible death regardless of parents' professions.

Not much good in Kansas. They have a $250,000 cap on non-economic damages.

The slide was built in Kansas because Kansas is the only state that didn't have regulations to prohibit it.

I know it's wrong, because a child just died, but I wonder how the father feels about tort reform and deregulation of industry now?

Yes, it's wrong, you creep.

Call it creepy, but there's one political party hellbent on dismantling regulations and this is precisely the sort of tragedy they're meant to prevent.

There is a time and place for politics. This is not that time. Please --please -- seek therapy.

Therapy? Seriously? For bringing up the point that regulations can help prevent this sort of tragedy? Wow.

Everyone knows that regulations can help prevent safety problems. That's an obvious point. Injecting politics into this tragedy is what is so very bizarre.

The Kansas Republican party would not agree with that statement. They would say that regulations hamper innovation and don't make anyone safer. Caleb's father is a member of the Kansas Republican party.

Karma is a bitch.

I don't agree with Republicans on many things. But I find your sentiment here disgusting. This family is suffering a horrific ordeal. Shame on you.

It is a horrifying ordeal. It is a horrifying ordeal caused in part because of the father's political positions and his role in the Kansas state government. The dad contributed to this event happening. The poor kid didn't deserve it, but his father's positions on low regulation for businesses absolutely created an environment that allowed this to happen.

If Dad was an AA woman who let her child wander into an animal enclosure, people would be ready to burn her at the stake. This father doesn't deserve less criticism.

PP, you are a true asshole. Regardless of the fathers political leanings, this kid died a horrific death. His father had NOTHING to do with it!!!!!

His father was part of a state legislature that blocked regulations for businesses. Lack of regulation contributed to this child's death. His father had everything to do with it.

Because people are never hurt by things that are regulated.

I know it's uncomfortable for a lot of people, but regulation (or lack thereof) is absolutely part of the story here. There's a reason this slide was built where it was in the first place. Hopefully lessons will be learned to prevent something like this from happening again.

And never inspected. The slide has never been inspected by state safety officials, not once.

Metro is regulated. Driving is regulated. Was the construction of this medieval monstrosity "regulated"? Were there mandatory requirements and inspections or not? Give me facts, not snarky and cenemous political points that pop into your head.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard it reported on the radio that his dad is in the Kansas State Legislature. Can you say "lawsuit"!

It was elected official day at the park, elected officials were allowed in the park at no cost. Why does this translate into a lawsuit?

Please--there will probably be a lawsuit b/c a kid died a horrible death regardless of parents' professions.

Not much good in Kansas. They have a $250,000 cap on non-economic damages.

The slide was built in Kansas because Kansas is the only state that didn't have regulations to prohibit it.

I know it's wrong, because a child just died, but I wonder how the father feels about tort reform and deregulation of industry now?

Yes, it's wrong, you creep.

Call it creepy, but there's one political party hellbent on dismantling regulations and this is precisely the sort of tragedy they're meant to prevent.

There is a time and place for politics. This is not that time. Please --please -- seek therapy.

Therapy? Seriously? For bringing up the point that regulations can help prevent this sort of tragedy? Wow.

Everyone knows that regulations can help prevent safety problems. That's an obvious point. Injecting politics into this tragedy is what is so very bizarre.

The Kansas Republican party would not agree with that statement. They would say that regulations hamper innovation and don't make anyone safer. Caleb's father is a member of the Kansas Republican party.

Karma is a bitch.

I don't agree with Republicans on many things. But I find your sentiment here disgusting. This family is suffering a horrific ordeal. Shame on you.

It is a horrifying ordeal. It is a horrifying ordeal caused in part because of the father's political positions and his role in the Kansas state government. The dad contributed to this event happening. The poor kid didn't deserve it, but his father's positions on low regulation for businesses absolutely created an environment that allowed this to happen.

If Dad was an AA woman who let her child wander into an animal enclosure, people would be ready to burn her at the stake. This father doesn't deserve less criticism.

PP, you are a true asshole. Regardless of the fathers political leanings, this kid died a horrific death. His father had NOTHING to do with it!!!!!

His father was part of a state legislature that blocked regulations for businesses. Lack of regulation contributed to this child's death. His father had everything to do with it.

Because people are never hurt by things that are regulated.

I know it's uncomfortable for a lot of people, but regulation (or lack thereof) is absolutely part of the story here. There's a reason this slide was built where it was in the first place. Hopefully lessons will be learned to prevent something like this from happening again.

And never inspected. The slide has never been inspected by state safety officials, not once.

Metro is regulated. Driving is regulated. Was the construction of this medieval monstrosity "regulated"? Were there mandatory requirements and inspections or not? Give me facts, not snarky and cenemous political points that pop into your head.

Never inspected.

http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article94494127.html

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard it reported on the radio that his dad is in the Kansas State Legislature. Can you say "lawsuit"!

It was elected official day at the park, elected officials were allowed in the park at no cost. Why does this translate into a lawsuit?

Please--there will probably be a lawsuit b/c a kid died a horrible death regardless of parents' professions.

Not much good in Kansas. They have a $250,000 cap on non-economic damages.

The slide was built in Kansas because Kansas is the only state that didn't have regulations to prohibit it.

I know it's wrong, because a child just died, but I wonder how the father feels about tort reform and deregulation of industry now?

Yes, it's wrong, you creep.

Call it creepy, but there's one political party hellbent on dismantling regulations and this is precisely the sort of tragedy they're meant to prevent.

There is a time and place for politics. This is not that time. Please --please -- seek therapy.

Therapy? Seriously? For bringing up the point that regulations can help prevent this sort of tragedy? Wow.

Everyone knows that regulations can help prevent safety problems. That's an obvious point. Injecting politics into this tragedy is what is so very bizarre.

The Kansas Republican party would not agree with that statement. They would say that regulations hamper innovation and don't make anyone safer. Caleb's father is a member of the Kansas Republican party.

Karma is a bitch.

I don't agree with Republicans on many things. But I find your sentiment here disgusting. This family is suffering a horrific ordeal. Shame on you.

It is a horrifying ordeal. It is a horrifying ordeal caused in part because of the father's political positions and his role in the Kansas state government. The dad contributed to this event happening. The poor kid didn't deserve it, but his father's positions on low regulation for businesses absolutely created an environment that allowed this to happen.

If Dad was an AA woman who let her child wander into an animal enclosure, people would be ready to burn her at the stake. This father doesn't deserve less criticism.

PP, you are a true asshole. Regardless of the fathers political leanings, this kid died a horrific death. His father had NOTHING to do with it!!!!!

His father was part of a state legislature that blocked regulations for businesses. Lack of regulation contributed to this child's death. His father had everything to do with it.

Because people are never hurt by things that are regulated.

I know it's uncomfortable for a lot of people, but regulation (or lack thereof) is absolutely part of the story here. There's a reason this slide was built where it was in the first place. Hopefully lessons will be learned to prevent something like this from happening again.

And never inspected. The slide has never been inspected by state safety officials, not once.

Metro is regulated. Driving is regulated. Was the construction of this medieval monstrosity "regulated"? Were there mandatory requirements and inspections or not? Give me facts, not snarky and cenemous political points that pop into your head.

NO, it wasn't. They didn't just come up with political points. That is the truth. The ride was specifically built at the KC park BECAUSE Kansas doesn't have regulations and oversights over things like that. There's other Schlitterbahns in other states, it was built in Kansas for that very reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mechanical engineer here. If the velocity is such that a rider cresting the top of the intermediate hill would be launched on an upward trajectory (in other words, he has sufficient upward momentum to overcome the gravity that would push him back down the slide, or "get air"), and the only thing that was supposed to keep him in the raft was the Velcro harness, then why wouldn't the raft itself be launched upward, too, with all the other occupants, on every other ride? I don't think it's held down by anything.

It's not held down. The raft just fits in the chute. There's nothing holding it on to the slide.

Have you seen the video of the early tests? The raft comes right off the top of the second hill and flies about 20 feet into the air.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard it reported on the radio that his dad is in the Kansas State Legislature. Can you say "lawsuit"!

It was elected official day at the park, elected officials were allowed in the park at no cost. Why does this translate into a lawsuit?

Please--there will probably be a lawsuit b/c a kid died a horrible death regardless of parents' professions.

Not much good in Kansas. They have a $250,000 cap on non-economic damages.

The slide was built in Kansas because Kansas is the only state that didn't have regulations to prohibit it.

I know it's wrong, because a child just died, but I wonder how the father feels about tort reform and deregulation of industry now?

Yes, it's wrong, you creep.

Call it creepy, but there's one political party hellbent on dismantling regulations and this is precisely the sort of tragedy they're meant to prevent.

There is a time and place for politics. This is not that time. Please --please -- seek therapy.

Therapy? Seriously? For bringing up the point that regulations can help prevent this sort of tragedy? Wow.

Everyone knows that regulations can help prevent safety problems. That's an obvious point. Injecting politics into this tragedy is what is so very bizarre.

The Kansas Republican party would not agree with that statement. They would say that regulations hamper innovation and don't make anyone safer. Caleb's father is a member of the Kansas Republican party.

Karma is a bitch.

I don't agree with Republicans on many things. But I find your sentiment here disgusting. This family is suffering a horrific ordeal. Shame on you.

It is a horrifying ordeal. It is a horrifying ordeal caused in part because of the father's political positions and his role in the Kansas state government. The dad contributed to this event happening. The poor kid didn't deserve it, but his father's positions on low regulation for businesses absolutely created an environment that allowed this to happen.

If Dad was an AA woman who let her child wander into an animal enclosure, people would be ready to burn her at the stake. This father doesn't deserve less criticism.

PP, you are a true asshole. Regardless of the fathers political leanings, this kid died a horrific death. His father had NOTHING to do with it!!!!!

His father was part of a state legislature that blocked regulations for businesses. Lack of regulation contributed to this child's death. His father had everything to do with it.

Because people are never hurt by things that are regulated.

I know it's uncomfortable for a lot of people, but regulation (or lack thereof) is absolutely part of the story here. There's a reason this slide was built where it was in the first place. Hopefully lessons will be learned to prevent something like this from happening again.

And never inspected. The slide has never been inspected by state safety officials, not once.

Metro is regulated. Driving is regulated. Was the construction of this medieval monstrosity "regulated"? Were there mandatory requirements and inspections or not? Give me facts, not snarky and cenemous political points that pop into your head.

NO, it wasn't. They didn't just come up with political points. That is the truth. The ride was specifically built at the KC park BECAUSE Kansas doesn't have regulations and oversights over things like that. There's other Schlitterbahns in other states, it was built in Kansas for that very reason.

Schlitterbahn's chain is mostly in Texas. They couldn't build in Texas because the laws and regulations are "too restrictive."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard it reported on the radio that his dad is in the Kansas State Legislature. Can you say "lawsuit"!

It was elected official day at the park, elected officials were allowed in the park at no cost. Why does this translate into a lawsuit?

Please--there will probably be a lawsuit b/c a kid died a horrible death regardless of parents' professions.

Not much good in Kansas. They have a $250,000 cap on non-economic damages.

The slide was built in Kansas because Kansas is the only state that didn't have regulations to prohibit it.

I know it's wrong, because a child just died, but I wonder how the father feels about tort reform and deregulation of industry now?

Yes, it's wrong, you creep.

Call it creepy, but there's one political party hellbent on dismantling regulations and this is precisely the sort of tragedy they're meant to prevent.

There is a time and place for politics. This is not that time. Please --please -- seek therapy.

Therapy? Seriously? For bringing up the point that regulations can help prevent this sort of tragedy? Wow.

Everyone knows that regulations can help prevent safety problems. That's an obvious point. Injecting politics into this tragedy is what is so very bizarre.

The Kansas Republican party would not agree with that statement. They would say that regulations hamper innovation and don't make anyone safer. Caleb's father is a member of the Kansas Republican party.

Karma is a bitch.

I don't agree with Republicans on many things. But I find your sentiment here disgusting. This family is suffering a horrific ordeal. Shame on you.

It is a horrifying ordeal. It is a horrifying ordeal caused in part because of the father's political positions and his role in the Kansas state government. The dad contributed to this event happening. The poor kid didn't deserve it, but his father's positions on low regulation for businesses absolutely created an environment that allowed this to happen.

If Dad was an AA woman who let her child wander into an animal enclosure, people would be ready to burn her at the stake. This father doesn't deserve less criticism.

PP, you are a true asshole. Regardless of the fathers political leanings, this kid died a horrific death. His father had NOTHING to do with it!!!!!

His father was part of a state legislature that blocked regulations for businesses. Lack of regulation contributed to this child's death. His father had everything to do with it.

Because people are never hurt by things that are regulated.

I know it's uncomfortable for a lot of people, but regulation (or lack thereof) is absolutely part of the story here. There's a reason this slide was built where it was in the first place. Hopefully lessons will be learned to prevent something like this from happening again.

And never inspected. The slide has never been inspected by state safety officials, not once.

Metro is regulated. Driving is regulated. Was the construction of this medieval monstrosity "regulated"? Were there mandatory requirements and inspections or not? Give me facts, not snarky and cenemous political points that pop into your head.

NO, it wasn't. They didn't just come up with political points. That is the truth. The ride was specifically built at the KC park BECAUSE Kansas doesn't have regulations and oversights over things like that. There's other Schlitterbahns in other states, it was built in Kansas for that very reason.

Schlitterbahn's chain is mostly in Texas. They couldn't build in Texas because the laws and regulations are "too restrictive."

Exactly. Which is why it was built in Kansas. PP seems to not believe that things like this aren't regulated when it's well documented that in Kansas, they are not.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard it reported on the radio that his dad is in the Kansas State Legislature. Can you say "lawsuit"!

It was elected official day at the park, elected officials were allowed in the park at no cost. Why does this translate into a lawsuit?

Please--there will probably be a lawsuit b/c a kid died a horrible death regardless of parents' professions.

Not much good in Kansas. They have a $250,000 cap on non-economic damages.

The slide was built in Kansas because Kansas is the only state that didn't have regulations to prohibit it.

I know it's wrong, because a child just died, but I wonder how the father feels about tort reform and deregulation of industry now?

Yes, it's wrong, you creep.

Call it creepy, but there's one political party hellbent on dismantling regulations and this is precisely the sort of tragedy they're meant to prevent.

There is a time and place for politics. This is not that time. Please --please -- seek therapy.

Therapy? Seriously? For bringing up the point that regulations can help prevent this sort of tragedy? Wow.

Everyone knows that regulations can help prevent safety problems. That's an obvious point. Injecting politics into this tragedy is what is so very bizarre.

The Kansas Republican party would not agree with that statement. They would say that regulations hamper innovation and don't make anyone safer. Caleb's father is a member of the Kansas Republican party.

Karma is a bitch.

I don't agree with Republicans on many things. But I find your sentiment here disgusting. This family is suffering a horrific ordeal. Shame on you.

It is a horrifying ordeal. It is a horrifying ordeal caused in part because of the father's political positions and his role in the Kansas state government. The dad contributed to this event happening. The poor kid didn't deserve it, but his father's positions on low regulation for businesses absolutely created an environment that allowed this to happen.

If Dad was an AA woman who let her child wander into an animal enclosure, people would be ready to burn her at the stake. This father doesn't deserve less criticism.

PP, you are a true asshole. Regardless of the fathers political leanings, this kid died a horrific death. His father had NOTHING to do with it!!!!!

His father was part of a state legislature that blocked regulations for businesses. Lack of regulation contributed to this child's death. His father had everything to do with it.

Because people are never hurt by things that are regulated.

I know it's uncomfortable for a lot of people, but regulation (or lack thereof) is absolutely part of the story here. There's a reason this slide was built where it was in the first place. Hopefully lessons will be learned to prevent something like this from happening again.

And never inspected. The slide has never been inspected by state safety officials, not once.

Metro is regulated. Driving is regulated. Was the construction of this medieval monstrosity "regulated"? Were there mandatory requirements and inspections or not? Give me facts, not snarky and cenemous political points that pop into your head.

NO, it wasn't. They didn't just come up with political points. That is the truth. The ride was specifically built at the KC park BECAUSE Kansas doesn't have regulations and oversights over things like that. There's other Schlitterbahns in other states, it was built in Kansas for that very reason.

Schlitterbahn's chain is mostly in Texas. They couldn't build in Texas because the laws and regulations are "too restrictive."

Exactly. Which is why it was built in Kansas. PP seems to not believe that things like this aren't regulated when it's well documented that in Kansas, they are not.

When a business finds Texas too restrictive, something is seriously wrong.