NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Harrisburg, PA, July 28, 2025: A summer outing to Hersheypark ended in tragedy last week when 9-year-old Sophia Subedi, a Harrisburg resident and member of the local Bhutanese community, died following an incident at the park’s wave pool.
Authorities said Sophia was pulled from “The Shore,” a 378,000-gallon wave pool located in the Boardwalk section of the park, on July 24 after she appeared to be in distress. Ten lifeguards stationed at the pool, assisted by additional staff and emergency responders, performed CPR and other life-saving measures before transporting her to Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. She was later pronounced dead.
Sophia had just completed the third grade at North Side Elementary School in Harrisburg. Her family moved to Pennsylvania from Columbus, Ohio, in 2022. The Bhutanese community released a statement Monday describing her as “a bright, kind, and loving young girl” whose loss has left them “in grief.”
John Lawn, CEO of Hershey Entertainment & Resorts, expressed condolences on behalf of the park: “Our hearts break for Sophia’s family. We are conducting a full internal review and are cooperating with local authorities to understand what happened.”
The Derry Township Police Department and the Dauphin County Coroner’s Office are investigating. Officials have not yet determined whether Sophia drowned or experienced a medical emergency.
Sophia’s funeral is scheduled for Wednesday at Jesse H. Geigle Funeral Home in Harrisburg. A community fundraiser has been launched to help the family with expenses.
The incident is the first guest fatality at Hersheypark since it opened in 1907.
