😢 Who Was Sophia Subedi?
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Name & Age: Sophia Subedi, aged 9.
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Background: Born in Columbus, Ohio in 2016, she moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 2022. She was a student at North Side Elementary School and had just completed 3rd grade, preparing to enter 4th grade in the fall of 2025
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Personality & Dreams: Described by the Bhutanese Community of Harrisburg as a bright, kind, and loving young girl who brought joy and light to everyone around her. She loved reading, painting, Nepali music, and dreamed of becoming a teacher
🏖 Tragedy at Hersheypark’s Boardwalk
What Happened
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On Thursday, July 24, 2025, Sophia visited The Boardwalk section of Hersheypark, which includes a large wave pool known as “The Shore.”
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Around closing time, she suddenly became unresponsive and was noticed in distress by the lifeguards
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Lifeguards administered an immediate rescue, including CPR and coordinated life-saving efforts involving trained first responders. She was rushed to Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead despite those efforts
Safety Measures in Place
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On duty: Over 100 certified lifeguards were present in The Boardwalk area, with 10 focused on the wave pool at the time of the incident.
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Hersheypark maintains rigorous safety protocols and certifications, including deep-water lifeguarding, CPR, AED use, and more
⚖ Cause of Death & Investigation
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The Dauphin County Coroner’s Office confirmed that Sophia’s death was due to an accidental freshwater drowning—definitively ruling out any medical event as a trigge
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Local law enforcement and park officials have launched a thorough internal review and are fully cooperating with authorities. No safety violations were identified in a focused inspection by the Department of Health that followed
🧍 Witness Accounts & Impact
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A nearby witness described seeing Sophia pulled from the pool limp and unresponsive, with lifeguards quickly evacuating the area, performing CPR, and shielding onlookers from the trauma. They shared:
“It was 92 degrees … I saw a child being pulled, limp, from the wave pool … it was something I’ll never forget.”
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Another added that park staff displayed calm professionalism despite visible grief.
This heartbreaking scene left many park visitors and staff visibly disturbed and shaken.
💔 Community Response & Legacy
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The Bhutanese Community in Harrisburg issued a heartfelt statement remembering Sophia’s loving nature and announcing farewell plans through her funeral. Her sudden loss has deeply affected her community
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A GoFundMe campaign set up by family friend Sri Adhikari has raised over $16,000 to assist with funeral costs and establish a memorial in Sophia’s name—perhaps to support future child-safety or educational initiatives
Scheduled Services
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Funeral and memorial: taking place Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at Jesse H. Geigle Funeral Home in Harrisburg
🎯 Why This Incident Matters
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This tragic event marks one of the very few fatalities at Hersheypark in nearly half a century—the previous death was recorded in 1977
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Even under seemingly safe conditions with trained staff, unexpected emergencies can occur—prompting scrutiny and renewed attention to water safety in high-capacity public attractions.
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Both Hersheypark leadership and local officials have reaffirmed a commitment to safety, promising further review and enhanced transparency moving forward
📝 Summary
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Victim | Sophia Subedi, 9, beloved community member with dreams of teaching |
| Location | The Boardwalk at Hersheypark, Hershey, Pennsylvania |
| Date | July 24, 2025 |
| Cause | Accidental freshwater drowning; no medical event involved |
| Response | Lifeguards and first responders performed immediate rescue efforts |
| Investigation | Ongoing; internal review announced; no safety violations found |
| Community | GoFundMe raised funds; funeral on July 30 |
| Legacy | A call for awareness and potential child safety initiatives in her honor |
🕊 Final Thoughts
The tragic death of Sophia Subedi is a profound loss for her family, the Bhutanese community in Harrisburg, and all who knew her. Described as gentle, empathetic, and ambitious, her dreams were still untouched. Her legacy lives on in the love she shared and the collective grief felt across her community.
While no words can ease the pain of this loss, the outpouring of support, the push for safety, and the hope of turning her memory into positive change stand as testaments to the mark she left in her all-too-brief life.
