A 9-year-old girl tragically died after being pulled unresponsive from a wave pool at Hersheypark's water park in Pennsylvania. A witness told WGAL that it was a hot day - around 92 degrees - and her family had just arrived when she saw the young girl being dragged out of the water.
"The child looked limp," the witness said, adding that staff and security personnel immediately rushed to perform CPR. Despite efforts by lifeguards and emergency responders, the child was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
The girl reportedly showed signs of distress while in the wave pool before being rescued. Park officials have not yet released the girl's identity or further details about what led to the incident.
"Yesterday at Hersheypark, I witnessed something that left me heartbroken. It was 92 degrees, and my family had just arrived when I saw a child being pulled, limp, from the wave pool," the witness, who didn't want to be named, told WGAL of the heartbreaking moment.
"Lifeguards blew their whistles, evacuating everyone, and within moments, staff and security rushed to help."
"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. Staff did their best to shield onlookers from the trauma, but the weight of the moment was overwhelming," she said.
"I later heard this may have been a medical emergency, not a typical drowning, which makes it no less tragic," the eyewitness said.
"Normally after a day at Hersheypark, I come home exhausted. But last night, I couldn't sleep. The image of that little child, and the heartbreak of the family, is something I'll never forget.
"I share this to honour (the child's) memory, to acknowledge the staff's compassion, and to let (the child's) loved ones know that even strangers are grieving alongside them."
