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Parents of child killed at water park speak out for first time

The couple wanted to thank the support they've received from around the world.
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The parents of a young boy who lost his life at an American water park last year have spoken out for the first time.

Caleb Schwab, 10, was riding down a water slide at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City when he flew off the multi-person raft and plummeted 15 metres.

Schwab was decapitated in front of his older brother, 12-year-old Nathan, as his other two brothers and parents were elsewhere in the park.

The boy’s parents have now spoken on an interview with Good Morning America about their heartbreak, with dad Scott recalling the last time he saw his baby boy.

“Before they took off I said, ‘Brothers stick together.’ And he said, ‘I know dad,’” said Scott.

He also described the horrific moment he approached a man on site looking for answers.

“I said, ‘I just need to hear it from you, is my son dead?’ And he just shook his head, and I said, ‘I need to hear it from you, is he dead?’

“And he said, ‘Yes, your son is dead.'”

Mum Michelle said she could hear her son Nathan screaming “He flew from Verruckt [the name of the ride]” repeatedly, as she approached the accident site.

“There was a gentleman who wouldn’t allow me to come close enough to see what was going on,” said Michelle.

“And he kept saying, ‘No, trust me. You don’t want to go any further.’”

The couple talk to Good Morning America

While there was a Police investigation into the death, the issue was settled in a civil suit last month. And although the details of this have not been released, court transcripts show that Caleb’s three brothers will receive lifetime payments for Schlitterbahn Waterparks and Zebec – the manugacturer of the rafts used on the slide.

The family, who state their faith is what has got them through so far, say they miss “so many things” about Caleb, but father Scott is determined they recover for the sake of their other children.

“We’ve lost some joy. We’ve lost Caleb, my joy. But we’ll get it back.”

“We’re still hurting, but we’re gonna be okay,” he told the reporter.

Offering his advice to parents, he said: “Be in the moment and hold your kids just a little bit tighter.”

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