• FILE - In this July 9, 2014, file photo, riders go down the water slide called "Verruckt" at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City, Kan. A state inspection has found 11 alleged violations of regulations at the Kansas water park where a 10-year-old boy died in 2016. The Kansas Department of Labor made an audit of the Schlitterbahn park in Kansas City public Tuesday, May 22, 2018, a day after issuing a notice to the park. The audit said safety signs in some park areas were not adequate, records were not available for review and some operating and training manuals were not complete. Photo: Charlie Riedel, AP / Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Photo: Charlie Riedel, AP
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FILE - In this July 9, 2014, file photo, riders go down the water slide called "Verruckt" at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City, Kan. A state inspection has found 11 alleged violations of regulations at the Kansas water park where a 10-year-old boy died in 2016. The Kansas Department of Labor made an audit of the Schlitterbahn park in Kansas City public Tuesday, May 22, 2018, a day after issuing a notice to the park. The audit said safety signs in some park areas were not adequate, records were not available for review and some operating and training manuals were not complete. less
FILE - In this July 9, 2014, file photo, riders go down the water slide called "Verruckt" at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City, Kan. A state inspection has found 11 alleged violations of regulations at the ... more
Photo: Charlie Riedel, AP
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The Verruckt, a 168 foot water slide at the Schlitterbahn in Kansas City, Kansas, was built in New Braunfels, Texas, at the water park's headquarters. It won for best new water park ride.
Scroll through the gallery to see the world's tallest water slide.
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The Verruckt, a 168 foot water slide at the Schlitterbahn in Kansas City, Kansas, was built in New Braunfels, Texas, at the water park's headquarters. It won for best new water park ride.
Scroll through the ... more
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The Verruckt, the world's tallest water slide, was built in New Braunfels and will open in July 2014 at the Kansas City, Kan., Schlitterbahn.
The Verruckt, the world's tallest water slide, was built in New Braunfels and will open in July 2014 at the Kansas City, Kan., Schlitterbahn.
Photo: Schlitterbahn, Courtesy
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The Verruckt, the world's tallest water slide, was built in New Braunfels and will open in July 2014 at the Kansas City, Kan., Schlitterbahn.
The Verruckt, the world's tallest water slide, was built in New Braunfels and will open in July 2014 at the Kansas City, Kan., Schlitterbahn.
Photo: Schlitterbahn, Courtesy
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A first-person point of view of The Verruckt water slide.
A first-person point of view of The Verruckt water slide.
Photo: Video Still
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You'd have to be Verruckt to ride this ride.
You'd have to be Verruckt to ride this ride.
Photo: Video Still
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The Verruckt, the world's tallest water slide, was built in New Braunfels and will open in July 2014 at the Kansas City, Kan., Schlitterbahn.
The Verruckt, the world's tallest water slide, was built in New Braunfels and will open in July 2014 at the Kansas City, Kan., Schlitterbahn.
Photo: Schlitterbahn, Courtesy
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Verruckt, German for insane, is the world’s tallest water slide standing a towering 170-feet. The slide, constructed in New Braunfels, will open in 2014 at the Kansas City Schlitterbahn.
Verruckt, German for insane, is the world’s tallest water slide standing a towering 170-feet. The slide, constructed in New Braunfels, will open in 2014 at the Kansas City Schlitterbahn.
Photo: Schlitterbahn, Courtesy
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Verruckt, German for insane, is the world’s tallest water slide standing a towering 170-feet. The slide, constructed in New Braunfels, will open in 2014 at the Kansas City Schlitterbahn.
Verruckt, German for insane, is the world’s tallest water slide standing a towering 170-feet. The slide, constructed in New Braunfels, will open in 2014 at the Kansas City Schlitterbahn.
Photo: Schlitterbahn, Courtesy
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Verruckt, German for insane, is the world’s tallest water slide standing a towering 170-feet. The slide, constructed in New Braunfels, will open in 2014 at the Kansas City Schlitterbahn.
Verruckt, German for insane, is the world’s tallest water slide standing a towering 170-feet. The slide, constructed in New Braunfels, will open in 2014 at the Kansas City Schlitterbahn.
Photo: Schlitterbahn, Courtesy
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Verruckt, German for insane, is the world’s tallest water slide standing a towering 170-feet. The slide, constructed in New Braunfels, will open in 2014 at the Kansas City Schlitterbahn.
Verruckt, German for insane, is the world’s tallest water slide standing a towering 170-feet. The slide, constructed in New Braunfels, will open in 2014 at the Kansas City Schlitterbahn.
Photo: Schlitterbahn, Courtesy
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Verruckt, German for insane, is the world’s tallest water slide standing a towering 170-feet. The slide, constructed in New Braunfels, will open in 2014 at the Kansas City Schlitterbahn.
Verruckt, German for insane, is the world’s tallest water slide standing a towering 170-feet. The slide, constructed in New Braunfels, will open in 2014 at the Kansas City Schlitterbahn.
Photo: Schlitterbahn, Courtesy
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Verruckt, German for insane, is the world’s tallest water slide standing a towering 170-feet. The slide, constructed in New Braunfels, will open in 2014 at the Kansas City Schlitterbahn.
Verruckt, German for insane, is the world’s tallest water slide standing a towering 170-feet. The slide, constructed in New Braunfels, will open in 2014 at the Kansas City Schlitterbahn.
Photo: Schlitterbahn, Courtesy
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Verruckt, German for insane, is the world’s tallest water slide standing a towering 170-feet. The slide, constructed in New Braunfels, will open in 2014 at the Kansas City Schlitterbahn.
Verruckt, German for insane, is the world’s tallest water slide standing a towering 170-feet. The slide, constructed in New Braunfels, will open in 2014 at the Kansas City Schlitterbahn.
Photo: Schlitterbahn, Courtesy
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The Verruckt, the world's tallest water slide, was built in New Braunfels and will open in July 2014 at the Kansas City, Kan., Schlitterbahn.
The Verruckt, the world's tallest water slide, was built in New Braunfels and will open in July 2014 at the Kansas City, Kan., Schlitterbahn.
Photo: Schlitterbahn, Courtesy
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Scroll ahead to learn more about death and injuries reported on amusement park and carnival rides.
Scroll ahead to learn more about death and injuries reported on amusement park and carnival rides.
Photo: (c) Jeff Greenberg
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10-year-old Caleb Schwab died on Verruckt, a water raft ride, at a Schlitterbahn in Kansas City on Aug. 7, 2016.
10-year-old Caleb Schwab died on Verruckt, a water raft ride, at a Schlitterbahn in Kansas City on Aug. 7, 2016.
Photo: Erin Oberhausen, HONS / Associated Press
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Samantha Aguilar, 16, was on a ride called the "Sizzler" at a church carnival in El Paso, Friday April, 29, 2016, before she was ejected from her seat and killed, multiple media reports said.
Samantha Aguilar, 16, was on a ride called the "Sizzler" at a church carnival in El Paso, Friday April, 29, 2016, before she was ejected from her seat and killed, multiple media reports said.
Photo: Screenshot Via Infrom
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A woman fell to her death while riding The Texas Giant roller coaster at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington Texas on Friday July, 19, 2013. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Read More: Six Flags responds to fatal accident: We don't design or build rides less

A woman fell to her death while riding The Texas Giant roller coaster at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington Texas on Friday July, 19, 2013. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Read More: Six Flags responds

... more
Photo: Ronald Martinez, Staff
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Four people were slightly injured in 2014 when the Ninja coaster at the Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park hit a tree branch dislodging the front car and keeping nearly two dozen summer fun-seekers hanging 20 to 30 feet in the air for hours as day turned to night Monday, July 7, 2014, in Valencia, Calif. Two of the four people hurt on the Ninja coaster were taken to the hospital as a precaution, but all the injuries were minor, fire and park officials said. 
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Four people were slightly injured in 2014 when the Ninja coaster at the Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park hit a tree branch dislodging the front car and keeping nearly two dozen summer fun-seekers hanging ... more
Photo: Andy Holzman, AP
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A woman reportedly died on a wooden roller coaster called the Raven at Holiday World in Santa Claus in Indiana in 2003. Tamar Fellner, 32, fell from the ride while it was in the midst of a 69-foot drop, according to reports.
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A woman reportedly died on a wooden roller coaster called the Raven at Holiday World in Santa Claus in Indiana in 2003. Tamar Fellner, 32, fell from the ride while it was in the midst of a 69-foot drop, ... more
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The Knott's Berry Farm theme park in California was the site of a death in September 2001. Lori Mason-Larez fell from the Perilous Plunge, which has a 121-foot drop, because of factors including the position of the restraints, the motion of the boats, and her size, according to a report from the Division of Occupational Safety and Health. less
The Knott's Berry Farm theme park in California was the site of a death in September 2001. Lori Mason-Larez fell from the Perilous Plunge, which has a 121-foot drop, because of factors including the position of ... more
Photo: 2015 Los Angeles Times
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Police officers inspect a roller coaster at the Tokyo Dome City amusement park in Tokyo on January 31, 2011 one day after a 34-year-old man died after falling off the ride. The man fell from a four-seat vehicle on the Spinning Coaster Maihime (Dancing Princess) when it reached a curve some eight metres above the ground. AFP PHOTO / JIJI PRESS (Photo credit should read JIJI PRESS/AFP/Getty Images)

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Police officers inspect a roller coaster at the Tokyo Dome City amusement park in Tokyo on January 31, 2011 one day after a 34-year-old man died after falling off the ride. The man fell from a four-seat vehicle

... more
Photo: AFP/Getty Images
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S and L Amusement of Harrison closed three rides in June 2007 because of a tragic accident that killed Gabriella Garin, 21, in Rye Playland , Rye New York. Garin worked at the park and was hit by a ride while trying to keep rambunctious kids safe. (Photo by Enid Alvarez/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images) less
S and L Amusement of Harrison closed three rides in June 2007 because of a tragic accident that killed Gabriella Garin, 21, in Rye Playland , Rye New York. Garin worked at the park and was hit by a ride while ... more
Photo: NY Daily News Via Getty Images
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Four teenagers were seriously injured in a crash between two carriages on the Smiler rollercoaster ride at Alton Towers Resort on June 2, 2015 in Alton, England. Sixteen people were in one carriage while the other one was empty. The West Midlands Ambulance Service said of the 16 on the ride, four had serious leg injuries. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) less
Four teenagers were seriously injured in a crash between two carriages on the Smiler rollercoaster ride at Alton Towers Resort on June 2, 2015 in Alton, England. Sixteen people were in one carriage while the ... more
Photo: Getty Images
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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas water park where a boy was killed on a giant waterslide in 2016 planned to open for its annual season as scheduled Friday with 11 of its rides closed following a state audit that park attorneys called a "malicious effort" to "stir up unfounded fear" about safety.

The Schlitterbahn park in Kansas City, Kansas, announced on its website Thursday night that six attractions would be operating. None of them were specifically mentioned in a Kansas Department of Labor audit released earlier this week after an inspection last week. The department issued a notice alleging 11 violations of state amusement park regulations, mostly pertaining to record-keeping and safety signs.

The rides the park planned to keep closed initially were all mentioned in the audit and included various slides, a surfing ride and the Soaring Eagle ZipLine, a "dry" ride that pulls riders in a two-seat chair across the park 100 feet above the ground. The park said in its Facebook posting that it has addressed the bulk of the audit issues but wants to let state and local officials, inspectors, park staff, consultants and attorneys finish "their process."

"Until that process is complete, we will not open the other rides," the statement said.

But, the park also said, "We are glad to say that we have addressed the bulk of the issues in the report and we are fully confident that our rides and park are safe and ready."

Attorneys for the park's management company argued in a letter Wednesday to the department that it exceeded its legal authority in conducting the audit and was required to give the park "reasonable" time to rectify any issues. The attorneys also rejected audit findings that equipment for the ZipLine had not been replaced as recommended by its manufacturer.

Despite their "strong disagreement" with the audit report, the attorneys wrote, the park would not open rides until audit questions were "fully addressed."

"This appears to be nothing more than a malicious effort on the part of the State to stir up unfounded fear and cast doubts on this company in the wake of the tragic accident in 2016," attorneys Erik Beard and Melanie Morgan wrote. "The State's action is unconscionable and we demand the State take remedial action to end this abuse."

The letter demanded a response by Thursday, but there was no indication whether the department sent one.

Department spokeswoman Barbara Hersh did not respond directly to the attorney's criticism but said the department was "encouraged" that the park said it would not open rides until the attractions complied with regulations.

"It is important to be proactive when conducting audits for the safety of the public," she said in an email.

Department officials promised in March to audit the Schlitterbahn park's records after a local grand jury issued multiple criminal indictments over the August 2016 death of 10-year-old Caleb Schwab. He was decapitated while riding a 17-story Verruckt waterslide, which was billed as the world's tallest and was shut down after his death.

The co-owner of the Texas-based Schlitterbahn Waterparks and Resorts, one of the Verruckt slide's designers, the Kansas City park's former operations director and the company that built Verruckt all face numerous felony charges. They have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The recent audit made dozens of findings and said safety signs in some park areas were inadequate, records were not available for review, and some operating and training manuals were incomplete. Schlitterbahn's attorneys noted that no rides were in operation at the time and that most of the issues raised "do not generally impact guest safety."

The notice said the 11 violations listed in its notice, each covering multiple findings, represented a first offense and the department was issuing the park a warning.

One count in the department's notice said inspection checklists, trainer qualification and other records for the ZipLine weren't available for review and added that it has not replaced parts as recommended by the manufacturer.

But Schlitterbahn attorneys said the manufacturer did inspections each of the past two years and was issuing a "bulletin" saying the existing parts are safe.

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Follow John Hanna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/apjdhanna .