Sisters In Raft With Caleb Schwab Offer Sympathy After His Death

The women in the same raft as a 10-year-old killed on a waterslide have said they hope an investigation will prevent similar tragedies.

Caleb Schwab suffered a fatal neck injury at the Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas on 7 August.

The son of Kansas Republican politician Scott Schwab had been on the 168ft-tall Verruckt, where riders are strapped into a raft and travel at speeds of up to 65mph.

Sisters Hannah Barnes, 32, and Matraca Baetz, 25, were the other two passengers in the raft and suffered serious facial injuries.

They released a statement through their lawyer, saying: "We are pursuing a thorough investigation of this tragic event to ensure that any and all measures are taken to prevent this from ever happening again.

"Being mothers ourselves, we can only hope that Caleb's family can find some comfort in knowing we are doing everything we know how to do to stop something so tragic occurring again to any other family."

The KWCH news website quoted a Kansas City Police Department report saying that the three riders had to have a combined weight of between 400 and 550lbs, with no single rider weighing over 300 pounds.

The two women were 275lbs and 197lbs, while Caleb was 73lbs, adding up to 545lbs - just below the upper limit.

Meanwhile, Mr Schwab thanked the public for their support since Caleb's death.

He said: "'Thank You' seems so inadequate to express our appreciation, but it is the only phrase we have.

"So, from the depths of our hearts, we thank you.

"While we try to step forward into the new normal life without Caleb in our presence, we find hope with the current investigation into the incident to provide answers and assurances that such a tragedy would not strike again."

In an earlier statement, officials at the water park said they were "deeply and intensely saddened for the Schwab family and all who were impacted by the tragic accident".

The ride is expected to remain closed for the rest of the year while Caleb's death is investigated.