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Alabama one of six states not to regulate amusement park rides

In his July 9, 2014, photo taken from a video recording, Associated Press reporter Bill Draper rides on Verruckt in Kansas City, Kan. The nylon Velcro straps that hold riders in, can be seen in the photo. At least two people who rode in the last year on the same Kansas water slide where a 10-year-old boy was killed say Velcro shoulder straps came loose during the raft ride featuring a 17-story drop. It's unclear whether the straps played any role in Sunday's death of Caleb Schwab, a Kansas lawmaker's son.
In his July 9, 2014, photo taken from a video recording, Associated Press reporter Bill Draper rides on Verruckt in Kansas City, Kan. The nylon Velcro straps that hold riders in, can be seen in the photo. At least two people who rode in the last year on the same Kansas water slide where a 10-year-old boy was killed say Velcro shoulder straps came loose during the raft ride featuring a 17-story drop. It's unclear whether the straps played any role in Sunday's death of Caleb Schwab, a Kansas lawmaker's son. In his July 9, 2014, photo taken from a video recording, Associated Press reporter Bill Draper rides on Verruckt in Kansas City, Kan. The nylon Velcro straps that hold riders in, can be seen in the photo. At least two people who rode in the last year on the same Kansas water slide where a 10-year-old boy was killed say Velcro shoulder straps came loose during the raft ride featuring a 17-story drop. It's unclear whether the straps played any role in Sunday's death of Caleb Schwab, a Kansas lawmaker's son.

By Associated Press 2 min read

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alabama remains one of six states with no inspections of amusement parks after the death of a 10-year-old boy who was killed in a water slide accident in Kansas.

Safety advocates have questioned whether state and federal oversight were sufficient, Al.com reported. States with no inspection of amusement parks include Alabama, Mississippi, Nevada, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming – which has no amusement parks.

Caleb Schwab was killed during a ride on the Verruckt raft ride at the Schlitterbahn WaterPark in Kansas City, Kansas. The boy was decapitated in the accident.

Verruckt is the world’s tallest waterslide. There is nothing comparable to the Verruckt in Alabama.

Dr. Jim McVay, director of the Alabama Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Health Promotion and its Chronic Disease Bureau, calls the fatal accident in Kansas a “very unique case,” and doesn’t expect change for Alabama to make inspections.

No federal agency has jurisdiction over fixed-site amusement parks, spokeswoman for the Consumer Product Safety Commission said. Kansas requires parks to conduct their own testing subject to inspection by the Kansas Department of Labor.

The ADPH does have an injury prevention branch that monitors and addresses intentional and unintentional injuries through a wide range of causes, McVay said. And it reviews every death involving a child, to see what might have prevented it.