What to Know
- A 9-year-old Brooklyn boy died after going for a swim during a class trip to a water park in New Jersey Tuesday, authorities say
- The child was identified as Hersh Meilech Grossman; he was with one of several groups -- up to 800 kids and staff -- visiting Sahara Sams
- The water park said in a statement it was deeply saddened by what happened and was conducting a thorough review of the case
A 9-year-old Brooklyn boy died during a class trip to a water park in New Jersey Tuesday, authorities said.
Hersh Meilech Grossman was with one of several groups -- a total of up to 800 kids and staff -- visiting Sahara Sam's in West Berlin for a private event when he went for a swim, officials said.
At some point, someone called 911 to an outside pool to report a swimmer in cardiac arrest. Grossman had been pulled from the pool unconscious; lifeguards were trying to perform CPR on him. Firefighters and EMS took over and continued life-saving efforts until they got Grossman to a nearby hospital.
He was pronounced dead around 8:30 p.m., just about an hour after he was pulled from the water. It wasn't clear who was supervising him or the hundreds of other children at the time. An autopsy will be conducted to determine how he died.
The water park issued a statement saying it was "deeply saddened" and "our prayers are with the guest's family and friends at this difficult time."
"We are completing a thorough review of the incident, which occurred during a private event, and working closely with local authorities," the statement continued. "The safety of our guests and team members is our first priority."
