Visitors to the boardwalk at Hersheypark are treated to an ocean side ambiance in the hills of Hershey, Pennsylvania. Credit :
Max W. Orenstein/Allentown Morning Call/Tribune News Service via Getty
- A witness recalled seeing the 9-year-old child who died at the Boardwalk at Hersheypark on Thursday, July 24, being pulled out of a wave pool “limp”
- John Lawn, CEO of Hershey Entertainment & Resort, confirmed unidentified child became “in distress” in the water
- Additional details about the child’s death have not yet been publicly shared
After the death of a 9-year-old child visiting Hersheypark’s water park, a witness is speaking out about what they saw as the heartbreaking tragedy unfolded.
Speaking with NBC affiliate WGAL, the witness — who wished to remain anonymous — said they were at The Boardwalk at Hersheypark with family on Thursday, July 24.
“It was 92 degrees and my family had just arrived when I saw a child being pulled, limp, from the wave pool,” the witness said. “A lifeguard began CPR on a gurney with intense focus, working for several minutes. When he stopped, clearly shaken, the crowd let out an audible sigh.”
The witness said water park staff “did their best to shield onlookers from the trauma, but the weight of the moment was overwhelming.”
John Lawn, CEO of Hershey Entertainment & Resort, previously said in a statement that the unidentified child became “in distress” in the water on Thursday, July 24.
“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 shared, adding that the child was quickly transported to a nearby hospital, but “did not recover.”
The wave pool will remain closed on Friday, July 25, out of respect for the family and 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 representative 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. In addition, 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,” the representative continued, “which includes deep-water lifeguarding, Basic Life Support, AED use, supplemental oxygen support, CPR, and First Aid.”
Hersheypark. brownpau / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
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.”
Additional details about the child’s death have not been shared publicly.
When contacted by PEOPLE, the Dauphin County Coroner’s Office had no comment on the ongoing investigation.
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Lawn noted that the park will conduct a thorough internal review and promise to cooperate fully with authorities. “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,” he added. “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. The CEO promised to honor the memory of the child by “continuing our focus on ensuring the safety of our guests at Hersheypark.”
