A 9-year-old child has tragically died at a waterpark in Pennsylvania. According to a statement by Hersheypark’s CEO John Lawn, the unidentified child died at his waterpark at The Boardwalk.
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Hersheypark CEO Speaks Up After 9-Year-Old Dies At Waterpark
This tragedy occurred on Thursday, July 24, according to PEOPLE. The CEO of Hershey Entertainment & Resorts explained that the child was “in distress.”
“From the moment our lifeguard team recognized that a child was in distress, they performed an immediate rescue,” he wrote. It was “followed by continuous, coordinated life-saving efforts by our lifeguards, on-side first repsonders, and medical personnel.”
Lawn explained that they transported the child to Milton S. Hershey Medical Center “without delay.” Although they attempted numerous life-saving efforts, they could not save the child.
“Our hearts break for this child and the child’s family,” he continued. “We extend our deepest condolences for their loss.” Lawn then asked the public to respect the family’s privacy, which was one of the reasons they didn’t identify the child.
He continued his statement by assuring guests that their safety was always their highest priority. “In the coming days, we will conduct a thorough internal review and cooperate fully with authorities,” he said.
Lawn promised to provide updates when appropriate and showed eagerness to help “support everyone involved.” The CEO’s final statement was him reassuring guests that they would “thoroughly investigate this tragedy.” He also said they would “honor the memory of this young guest” by continuing their focus on safety for all guests.
The water park didn’t name which exact attraction the 9-year-old died on. It also seems like Hersheypark will continue to stay open despite the awful tragedy.
This hasn’t been the only fatal incident at a Hersheypark waterpark. The previous death at Hersheypark occurred in 1977, according to Lebanon Daily News. It involved a 16-year-old Lebanon maintenance worker.
The worker, David Harter, was working on the park’s newest attraction, the SooperdooperLooper. As he was hard at work, the rollercoaster accidentally started, causing the train to strike him.
Medical personnel pronounced the teen boy dead at the Hershey Medical Center. The ride was closed before the accident, as no one had ridden it for hours.