Latest news with #Mudcats
Daily Mail
17-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Harrowing story of 10-year-old boy who was decapitated on 'world's tallest waterslide' - as family received multi-million pound payout
'That was the best ride I've ever been on,' inventor Jeff Henry said. 'I know, me too, that was truly exciting because we really didn't know if we were going to survive it or not,' designer John Schooley responded - moments after testing the world's tallest waterslide for the first time. Four years later, 10-year-old Caleb Schwab was decapitated after going down the 168ft vertical drop in 2016. The Verrückt - German for 'insane' - plunged water rafts at 70mph down a slide which had netting strung above in case anyone went flying. In the end, it was this safety precaution which killed the young boy as his head was flung into one of the poles holding the nets in place after his ride became airborne. He skidded down the rest of the slide until he reached a stop at the bottom pool, where lifeguards had to hold back crowds from his mangled body and the two other injured women in the boat covered in blood. Caleb - the son of Kansas state Representative Scott Schwab - was enjoying a day trip with his family after they were tempted by free admission for Kansas elected officials and their kin on Elected Official Day. A player on the Kansas City Mudcats baseball team, the youngster was one of four brothers and was described by his father as 'his joy'. 'When my kids were born, Nathan was my pleasure, Caleb was my joy, Alex was my delight and Isaac was my treasure. We've lost some joy. We've lost Caleb, my joy. But we'll get it back,' Mr Schwabb said at Caleb's funeral. Wise beyond his years, a five-year-old Caleb comforted him when he lost his job: 'I was the kid who scraped the knee at that moment and he held me. That was Caleb.' Mr Schwab - who now serves as Kansas Secretary of State - kissed Caleb's portrait before making his way off the stage. It was alleged that Schlitterbahn co-owner Mr Henry and his senior designer Mr Schooley's quest to earn a Guinness World Record fast-tracked their gravity-defying creation. Charged with aggravated battery, aggravated endangerment of a child and second-degree murder, the pair allegedly pushed on with the dangerous ride 'in a spur-of-the-moment bid to impress producers of the Travel Channel's Xtreme Waterparks series'. Using sandbags to simulate humans, the inventors would test the 17-story high water slide's limits in what the indictment called 'crude trial-and-error methods'. According to Schlitterbahn's officials, two to three riders that together weighed between 180kg and 250kg were needed to prevent the raft from going airborne. Caleb's family was weighed on a scale at the bottom of the water slide and again at the top but were told that they couldn't ride the raft together because even with a third person, the combined weight of all three riders wouldn't hit 180kg. So eldest brother Nathan went first - along with two adult strangers - and waited for his brother to come down the slide behind him. Instead, Caleb's lifeless body plunged down in front of him. 'He flew from the Verrückt, he flew from the Verrückt,' his mother, Michelle, heard him say. 'There was a gentleman who wouldn't allow me to come close enough to see what was going on, and he just kept saying, "Trust me, you don't want to go any further",' she added. 'I kind of knew in my mind that I shouldn't see it, that I probably don't want to see it.' Unlike neighbouring state Missouri, Kansas water parks did not need to be inspected by a state agency to be considered safe. And yet, court documents claimed that 'rushed project and lack of expertise' led to the builders 'fundamental steps in the design process'. Even with the addition of a netting installed as a precautionary measure, the indictment said a devastating tragedy was bound to happen, as rafts were 'guaranteed' to 'occasionally go airborne in a manner that could severely injure or kill the occupants'. 'The allegation that we operated, and failed to maintain, a ride that could foreseeably cause such a tragic accident is beyond the pale of speculation,' the water park responded. According to the writ, investigators also say they found 13 people had been injured riding the slide before Caleb's death, including two people who were concussed and a 15-year-old girl who went temporarily blind. Two other water park workers - David Hughes and John Zalsmen - were also charged with obstruction of justice after allegedly covering up that they had not replaced a brake mat on the slide. But Zalsmen's attorney called the prosecution 'sloppy' and accused them of trying to force the employees to turn against higher ups in the company. The indictment went on to say that neither Mr Henry or Mr Schooley 'possessed any kind of technical or engineering credential relevant to amusement ride design or safety' and that the pair hid the fact that the ride was causing serious injuries in its six months in service. But Schlitterbahn Waterparks and Resorts dismissed the comments, saying it was 'so full of false information that it has shocked the Kansas legal community'. In the end, all the charges against against the water park employees including the park's director of operations, Tyler Austin Miles - who was charged with manslaughter - were dropped in 2019 over 'improper evidence and testimony displayed to the grand jury'. The judge said the jury had been unfairly shown clips from the reality show which debuted the Verrückt and had hyped up how dangerous the ride was for dramatic effect. The waterpark also did not need to be held to the standards of safety rules that came in after it was created, despite the state's expert witness repeatedly referring to them during the trial. The expert then went on to improperly reference another death at a Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Texas in 2013. Winter Prosapio, Schlitterbahn's director of communication said the 'the indictment uses quoted statements from a reality TV show that was scripted for dramatic effect that in no way reflects the design and construction of the ride'. 'Quotes were purported to be from definitive design meetings, when they were, in fact, 'acting'. 'The allegation that we operated, and failed to maintain, a ride that could foreseeably cause such a tragic accident is beyond the pale of speculation. 'Many of us, and our children and grandchildren, have ridden the ride with complete confidence as to its safety. Our operational mantra has been and will forever be Safety First.' When the charges were dropped, the Kansas attorney general said they were 'obviously disappointed and respectfully disagree with the court's decision' but added that they would be considering whether they would pursue new criminal charges. Eventually, Schwab's family settled with the park and various companies connected to the slide for £15.1million ($20million). The Kansas City park was closed in 2018, with the Verrückt demolished as soon as the investigation was finished.
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Minor League staffer uses bare hand to scoop dog's poop during Cannon Ballers game
Official scoops fresh dog poop with bare hand at Cannon Ballers Vs Mudcats game/ X Screengrab A Minor League Baseball game turned into an unexpected spectacle over the weekend when a Kannapolis Cannon Ballers staffer was caught on camera cleaning up dog feces, using his bare hand. The incident took place on Sunday at Atrium Health Ballpark , during a Single-A matchup between the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, an affiliate of the Chicago White Sox , and the Carolina Mudcats. During the bottom of the third inning, the Cannon Ballers' beloved bat dog , Kacey Betty , had a bathroom emergency just feet away from home plate. The dog had just relieved herself on the field, moments before preparing to fetch a bat, when a stadium official intervened. Instead of using gloves or waste bags, the employee opted to scoop up the excrement with a clipboard and his bare hand, horrifying both the live audience and fans online. The moment, captured on video and shared widely on social media, left viewers stunned. According to OutKick, 'Good god, he closed the gate with his poo hand!' Another report by TMZ highlighted the viral reactions, with one fan commenting, 'Fire the guy who picked up s** with his bare hands immediately,'* while another exclaimed, 'Ayoooo he bare handed that grounder??' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like They Lost Their Money - Learn From Their Lesson Expertinspector Click Here Undo Adding to the surreal nature of the moment, OutKick noted, 'That's certainly a new one. We've all done the move where you get something flat like a piece of paper or a clipboard to scoop up a spider or something that spilled, but I've never seen that done with dog poo.' So far, the stadium has made no official statement about the cleanup protocol or the staff member involved. As TMZ reported, 'No public comment from him so far ... but hopefully the stadium had some good hand sanitizer on deck.' The incident also raised questions about preparedness, with OutKick remarking, 'I'm not sure how there wasn't a roll of s--t bags nearby... You'd think if they have a dog working for the team, they have some bags at the ready.' Despite the bizarre mid-game cleanup, the Cannon Ballers pulled off a 3-0 win over the Mudcats. But the real talk of the night wasn't the score, it was the stomach-churning image of barehanded dog poop removal that's now immortalized online.
Daily Mail
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Fans horrified by baseball official's grotesque act after dog poops on the field
Fans were left horrified on Tuesday night after a baseball official's disgusting act. During a minor league game between the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers and Carolina Mudcats, the Cannon Ballers' 'bat dog' defecated on the field near home plate. A staffer at the minor league stadium was nearby to clean up the mess, but opted for a pretty shocking strategy. Rather than rushing to get some sort of bag or paper towel, he grabbed the poop with his bare hand as he pushed it onto some sort of notebook or clipboard. He then scurried off the field to get rid of the feces. Fans online were mortified after video of the incident surfaced to X. That's one hell of a shit (via @BallersBatDog) — Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) May 13, 2025 'Fire the guy who picked up s*** with his bare hands immediately,' one said. 'Picking up dog s*** with your bare hands is insane,' another added. 'Did he just bare hand it then touch the gate? Then probably everything else,' a third asked. And a fourth joked, 'Give him the brown glove award,' as they referenced baseball's Gold Glove award for the best fielders. The Cannon Ballers, a single-A affiliate of the White Sox, would win the game 3-0.
