- A 9-year-old child died at the Hershey chocolate company’s Hersheypark resort in Pennsylvania.
- According to a park statement, a lifeguard attempted life-saving measures after noticing the child was “in distress.”
- The child was later transported to a local hospital, but was unable to be revived.
A 9-year-old child died Thursday night following a tragic incident at the Hershey chocolate company’s Hersheypark theme park in Pennsylvania.
The park released a statement overnight announcing the death of the child after a lifeguard noticed that the youngster was “in distress” inside the water-centric Boardwalk area of the destination.
“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,” the statement from CEO John Lawn reads. “The child was transported without delay to Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, where, despite everyone’s tireless efforts, the child did not recover.”
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The statement continues, noting that the team’s “hearts break for this child and the child’s family” and that they “extend our deepest condolences” for the family’s loss, and that they will release no further personal details on the matter.
Lawn adds that “the safety of our guests has always been our highest priority” and “in the coming days, we will conduct a thorough internal review and cooperate fully with authorities” to determine what caused the incident.
The park also asks for privacy for the family and team members involved, and that they “will provide updates as appropriate” as they “support everyone involved” in the tragedy.
Though the statement doesn’t indicate a manner of death, local Pennsylvania news indicates that the child drowned at the Boardwalk, which features an assortment of water-based attractions and rides.
Entertainment Weekly has reached out to the Derry Township police department as well as to representatives for Hersheypark for comment.
Hersheypark opened in 1906 as a destination for employees of the Hershey Chocolate Company, and later evolved into a resort destination themed to Hershey’s products. It currently features an assortment of roller coasters and rides themed to candies like Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, and more.
Though deadly accidents at amusement and theme parks are rare, there have been notable, headline-making deaths involving children at waterparks in the recent past.
In 2016, Caleb Schwab, the 10-year-old son of Kansas state legislator Scott Schwab, was decapitated while riding the Verrückt waterslide at the Schlitterbahn Kansas City waterpark.
Charges were later filed against the owner and designer of what was once the tallest waterslide in the world, though they were eventually dropped in 2019.
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Other recent theme park incidents that made headlines include a backstage fire at Epcot at Walt Disney World in Florida, and riders who jumped off of a raft ride after becoming stuck on the attraction at Six Flags Over Texas in June 2024.
