A 9-year-old child lost their life following a heartbreaking incident at The Boardwalk, the water park section of Hersheypark in Pennsylvania. The incident happened on Thursday, July 24, according to Hershey Entertainment & Resorts CEO John Lawn.
While enjoying the water attractions, the child reportedly showed sudden signs of distress. Lifeguards quickly noticed the situation and immediately intervened, pulling the child from the water. Meanwhile, netizens are pouring conspiracy theories over the tragic death.
How did the 9-year-old die?
On-site emergency responders, including medical personnel and first responders, attempted life-saving measures before rushing the child to the nearby Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Despite their efforts, the child was pronounced dead at the hospital. Details such as the child’s identity and the exact cause of death have not been released, and it remains unknown which attraction the incident occurred on. The Boardwalk at Hersheypark features numerous water-based rides and pools, including a wave pool, lazy river, and high-speed water slides like the Whitecap Racer.
“Was she just drowning?”
Redditors and twitteratis flooded conspiracy theories over the death of the child. A user noted, “If this is true, it’s incredibly sad, but not unknown. We were taught to handle a seizure in the pool when I was a lifeguard, and it can actually be a really good place to have a seizure if you have someone get to you quickly. Lifeguards are trained to hold people’s heads out of the water until they finish having a seizure, which limits the damage they can do to themselves. However if it’s not caught soon enough, and it’s not obviously a medical emergency rather than kids playing, especially in a busy wave pool, it can end tragically like this.” “I’ve read that it was a seizure in the water park area. The wording in this statement is careful to avoid a cause of death. That’s not their job. The coroner determines that,” noted a netizen.
Another added, “Yes, how are you going to say that having a seizure somewhere where you are surrounded by trained professionals and unlikely to injure yourself on something hard is a comparatively good place to have a seizure.” A netizen claimed, “Some very tragic news coming out of Hersheypark this evening. I commend the park for their transparency and efforts on the matter and I’m sharing in everyone’s condolences for the family’s loss and privacy at this time.” “It was a seizure, not a drowning,” claimed another.
“I’m sorry but me and my family of 4 kids all under 10 were just there on the 12th. Can’t blame the lifeguards one bit. There are way too many people there at once for them to pay attention to 1 person. The main question is where we’re the parents when this happened and why didn’t the parents react sooner. We made sure to stand by our kids the whole time we were there because there are people that love to snatch kids up and in case they cant get up in a water attraction. It was also over 100 degrees outside it could have been from heat exhaustion. No where did the post ever mention the person drowned just said they were found distressed. Don’t say they drowned without having hard evidence,” questioned a user.
CEO John Lawn’s statement
In an emotional statement, CEO John Lawn stated, “Our hearts go out to the family during this devastating time.” He added that the company’s commitment to supporting the family and everyone affected by the tragedy, adding that no personal information would be shared out of respect for their privacy.
Hersheypark officials pledged a full investigation into the circumstances of the incident and reiterated their dedication to guest safety. “Everything we do is centered around the well-being of our guests,” said Lawn, promising continued transparency and support in the days ahead.