Hersheypark Wave Pool. Credit :
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- Hersheypark is sharing more information about a 9-year-old child who died following an incident at their water park on Thursday, July 24
- A rep for the park confirmed that the incident occurred at the wave pool, which will remain closed on Friday, July 25
- “Our thoughts and our hearts are with the family and friends of this young life, lost too soon,” The Derry Township Police Department wrote in a statement
Hersheypark is sharing more information about the death of a 9-year-old child following an incident at their water park in Pennsylvania.
The child, who has not yet been identified, was visiting The Boardwalk at Hersheypark on Thursday, July 24, when they became “in distress” in the water, John Lawn, CEO of Hershey Entertainment & Resort previously said in a statement.
“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 continued, sharing that the child was quickly transported to a nearby hospital, but “did not recover.”
Although Lawn did not go into specifics in his initial instatement, the park has now confirmed the incident occurred in the wave pool.
“The wave pool will remain closed today out of respect for the family and deep appreciation of our team members who worked so valiantly in their efforts to save the life of the guest,” a park representative said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.
The Boardwalk at Hersheypark. Max W. Orenstein/Allentown Morning Call/Tribune News Service via Getty
The rep went on to say that the park “places the highest priority on water safety at The Boardwalk” and there were over 100 trained lifeguards at the park at the time of the incident.
Additionally, there were “10 lifeguards specifically dedicated to the wave pool.”
“The specific lifeguards stationed at the wave pool received the highest level of training and certification,” their statement continued, “which includes deep-water lifeguarding, Basic Life Support, AED use, supplemental oxygen support, CPR, and First Aid.”
The water park area of Hersheypark — open Memorial Day through Labor Day — features 16 water rides and pools, including multiple slides, a 378,000-gallon wave pool, an all-ages water fun playground, a winding lazy river with waterfalls and Whitecap Racer, dubbed “the longest mat racing slide in the world.”
The Derry Township Police Department confirmed they are assisting the park and the Dauphin County Coroner’s Office with “their review into the death of a 9-year-old child at The Boardwalk at Hersheypark on the evening of July 24, 2025.”
“We are still on the early stages of this process, and we are working to gather all of the facts in the incident,” they added. “Our thoughts and our hearts are with the family and friends of this young life, lost too soon”
The Dauphin County Coroner’s Office had no comment on the ongoing investigation when contacted by PEOPLE.
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In his statement, Lawn went on to reaffirm the company’s commitment to safety.
“In the coming days, we will conduct a thorough internal review and cooperate fully with authorities,” he wrote. “As we grieve alongside our community, we ask for privacy for the family and for our team members who are deeply affected by this loss. We will provide updates as appropriate, and we will continue to work to support everyone involved.”
“To every family who visits Hersheypark, please know this: your safety and well-being drive every decision we make,” he continued. “We will thoroughly investigate this tragedy and honor the memory of this young guest by continuing our focus on ensuring the safety of our guests at Hersheypark.”
