9-year-old boy dies after incident at Hersheypark wave pool

A 9-year-old boy died Thursday night in an incident at the wave pool within Hersheypark’s Boardwalk water attraction, officials from the Pennsylvania amusement park said.

Details about how the boy died were not provided in a statement from the park, which said the boy was “tragically lost” despite rescue efforts. His name has not been released.

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“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,” Lawn said.

The boy was taken to Milton S. Hershey Medical Center after initial rescue efforts failed at the park.

Hersheypark said it is keeping the wave pool closed Friday. At the time of the incident, Lawn said there were 10 lifeguards on duty to monitor the wave pool. 

“Our hearts break for this child and the child’s family,” Lawn said. “We extend our deepest condolences for their loss.”

The Boardwalk at Hersheypark features several waterslides, tubes, climbing structures and a large, 3-foot deep tidal pool.

Lawn said the amusement park is committed to the safety of its guests and will work to determine what led to the boy’s death. The Dauphin County Coroner’s Office and Derry Township police are assisting in the investigation. 

“We will thoroughly investigate this tragedy and honor the memory of this young guest,” he said.

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