The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was pulled “limp” from the water on Thursday, and later died at a hospital despite lifeguards’ attempts to save her, according to reports.
“It is with profound sorrow and heavy hearts that the Bhutanese Community in Harrisburg (BCH) shares the heartbreaking news of the untimely passing of a beloved 9-year-old girl, a resident of our Harrisburg-based Bhutanese community,” the organization said in a statement.
“The child tragically lost her life in a devastating incident that occurred at Hersheypark,” the group’s chairman, Tilak Niroula, said in a statement.
The fatality was the first at Hersheypark since 1977.
“At just nine years old, she was full of promise, innocence, and joy — a light in the lives of all who knew her. Her sudden and tragic departure has left a deep void in our hearts and the community she was so warmly a part of,” Niroula said, according to WGAL.
“Our entire community is grieving alongside the family during this unimaginably difficult time. Words cannot fully capture the depth of our pain, but we are united in our mourning and committed to standing with the family in love, prayer, and support.”
Hundreds of comments from grieving members of the Bhutanese community flooded the BCH Facebook page.
“Very, very shocking news to all of us. What a tragedy has befallen us,” one person wrote.
Hersheypark officials insisted the facility and its water park area, known as the Boardwalk, is safe.
“There were over 100 E&A-trained lifeguards in the Boardwalk at the time of the incident. There were 10 lifeguards specifically dedicated to the wave pool at the time of the incident. The specific lifeguards stationed at the wave pool received the highest level of training and certification,” park officials said in a statement.
Niroula, speaking in Bhutanese in a video posted to Facebook, urged parents to stay vigilant.
“Please make sure to stay close and attentive when your children are in or near swimming pools or any body of water,” a caption accompanying the video read. “Even a moment of distraction can lead to heartbreaking consequences.”
The wave pool remained closed Saturday, Hersheypark said.
