Questions remain as to what took the life of a nine-year-old on a visit this week to a popular water park in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
The incident took place around 6 p.m. Thursday in the Boardwalk, Hersheypark’s collection of water attractions, several news outlets reported.
Hershey Entertainment & Resorts CEO John Lawn said in a statement.
Tonight, a nine-year-old guest was tragically lost at The Boardwalk at Hersheypark. From the moment our lifeguard team recognized that a child was in distress, they performed an immediate rescue, followed by continuous, coordinated life-saving efforts by our lifeguards, on-site first responders, and medical personnel… Our hearts break for this child and the child’s family. We extend our deepest condolences for their loss.
The Boardwalk attraction is made up of a wave pool, a lazy river, and numerous water slides as well as a 378,000-gallon wave pool. The park has not revealed which one was the site of the fatality.
The child was pronounced dead at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. The exact cause of death has yet to be determined.
The tragic death is only the second involving an attraction in the park’s long history, according to the New York Post. A 16-year-old working on the park’s first inverted coaster was run over in 1977 as he worked on the track.
Located 95 miles west of Philadelphia, Hersheypark is among the most visited theme parks in the U.S., the Economic Times noted.
It was first founded in 1906 for workers at the Hershey chocolate company but became a popular public attraction over the years as it expanded. The waterpark was added in 2007 at a cost of $21 million, the Times reported.
An official inquiry will be launched and an autopsy will be performed on the child to determine exactly what happened at the park.
“The safety of our guests has always been our highest priority,” CEO Lawn said. “In the coming days, we will conduct a thorough internal review and cooperate fully with authorities.”
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