A WITNESS has described the devastating moment they saw a child being pulled from a pool before she was pronounced dead.
The nine-year-old girl was visiting the Boardwalk at Hersheypark in Pennsylvania on Thursday when she suddenly fell into distress.
An immediate response by lifeguards included a rescue and CPR, but despite these efforts, the child was unable to be saved, as confirmed by Hersheypark’s CEO, John Lawn.
Details surrounding the child’s death are scarce, however, an eyewitness reported they saw her being carried out of the wave pool, as noted by NBC affiliate WGAL.
This comes as the wave pool was closed on Friday while the rest of the park operated as normal, the outlet reported.
The witness said they were “heartbroken” after watching the child “being pulled” from the pool.
The eyewitness, wishing to remain anonymous, mentioned, “Lifeguards blew their whistle to clear the area, and within moments, staff along with security personnel rushed in to assist.”
The parkgoer said that a lifeguard performed CPR on a gurney “with intense focus” and worked for several minutes.
Staff at the park “did their best to shield onlookers from the trauma, but the weight of the moment was overwhelming,” according to the witness.
That night after getting home from the park, the witness said they couldn’t sleep because they were so shaken by the death.
The parkgoer described the tragedy as “something I’ll never forget,” but stressed how they were struck by the “staff’s compassion.”
Lawn mourned the death of the child and confirmed that his staff worked tirelessly to try and save her.
“Our hearts break for this child and the child’s family,” he wrote.
“We extend our deepest condolences for their loss.”
The CEO said that he will be conducting a “thorough internal review” alongside authorities in the coming days.
“To every family who visits Hersheypark, please know this: your safety and well-being drive every decision we make,” he said.
“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.”
The wave pool holds 378,000 gallons of water and slowly rises from zero to six feet, according to the park’s website.
It’s part of the Boardwalk, which boasts a Lazy River, tall water slides, and cabanas for relaxing by pools.
The amusement park is in Hershey, about two hours west of Philadelphia, and is owned by the chocolate company Hershey.
It was originally built by the confectionery company’s founder, Milton S. Hershey, as a place where employees could go to relax.
The tragedy comes as a toddler plunged to their death at a water park after slipping from their dad’s arms.
