August 7, 2016, was supposed to be a wonderful summer day for the Schwab family. Ten-year-old Caleb Schwab had arrived at a water park with his parents and siblings, excited to enjoy the attractions. One of the biggest draws was Verrückt, a nearly 170-foot-tall waterslide that had earned international attention for its extraordinary height. Like countless children visiting amusement parks, Caleb was looking forward to an adventure. Nobody in his family could have imagined that the afternoon would end in heartbreak.

Before Caleb went on the ride, his father, Scott Schwab, shared a simple reminder with him: “Brothers stick together.” Caleb answered, “I know, Dad.” It was an ordinary exchange between a father and son, the kind most families would barely remember. But just minutes later, something went terribly wrong on the waterslide. Caleb suffered fatal injuries, leaving his family facing an unimaginable loss.

Those few words would become their final conversation. But what investigators discovered afterward raised serious questions about the attraction itself.

Continue below in Part 2.