Demolition begins of Kansas waterslide on which boy died

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Crews are tearing down a giant waterslide that a 10-year-old Kansas boy was riding when he was decapitated two years ago.

KMBC-TV reports that deconstruction of the 17-story Verruckt, which was billed as the world's tallest waterslide, began Tuesday.

Caleb Schwab, the son of a Kansas legislator, was riding the slide at the Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City, Kansas, in August 2016 when the raft he was in went airborne. Caleb was killed when he struck a metal rod that held a safety net in place.

The demolition was delayed because of disagreements over which parts of the slide should be preserved for evidence in criminal cases. Two maintenance workers have been acquitted of impeding the investigation. Charges are pending against the park's co-owner and the ride's designer.