Authorities have confirmed that 9-year-old Sophia Subedi died from accidental freshwater drowning last week at The Boardwalk, the water park at Hersheypark in Pennsylvania.
The Dauphin County Coroner’s Office announced that Sophia did not suffer a medical emergency before drowning. Instead, the tragedy was ruled an accidental drowning incident, and an investigation is still ongoing.
Sophia was found unresponsive in the wave pool on Thursday, July 24. She was pulled from the water and received immediate rescue efforts by lifeguards, on-site first responders, and medical personnel, according to Hershey Entertainment & Resorts CEO John Lawn. Despite being rushed to a nearby hospital, she could not be revived.
Her identity was publicly confirmed by a spokesperson from the Bhutanese Community in Harrisburg (BCH). Sophia had recently completed third grade at North Side Elementary School and was preparing to start fourth grade.
“A bright, kind, and loving young girl, Sophia brought joy and light to everyone who knew her,” BCH Chairman Tilak Niroula said in a statement. “Her sudden loss has left our entire community in grief.”
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Born in Columbus, Ohio, Sophia and her family moved to Harrisburg in 2022. A GoFundMe has since been launched to help support the grieving family.
Witnesses described the heartbreaking scene. One bystander told WGAL that Sophia appeared “limp” when pulled from the water, and that a visibly shaken lifeguard performed CPR for several minutes before stopping. “The weight of the moment was overwhelming,” the witness said.
The Derry Township Police Department confirmed in a statement that they are “still gathering all the facts,” and Police Chief Garth Warner told PEOPLE the review is expected to be finalized by the end of the week.
Park officials said the wave pool remained closed as of July 24 and that 10 lifeguards, all specially certified in deep-water rescue and advanced life support, were assigned to the area during the incident.
In his statement, CEO John Lawn said guest safety is Hersheypark’s top priority.
“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.”
