Boy, 6, Drowns in Amusement Park Accident

Bloomsburg, PAA six-year-old boy who died as the result of an Amusement Park Accident earlier this month had been swimming in the pool at the Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania, when he was discovered unconscious in the water by another swimmer. After being pulled from the water, lifeguards performing CPR briefly revived the child, but George S. Roberts III later succumbed to his Water Park Injuries at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville.

As reported July 8 in the Morning Call of Allentown, Pennsylvania, the boy's parents do not hold the amusement park responsible. Knoebels is a popular, family-run amusement park of massive proportions that extends into two townships and is located 10 miles south of Bloomsburg and 55 miles northwest of Allentown. A spokesperson for the Knoebels indicated the child's death was the first in the facility's proud 85-year history.

However, the child was discovered motionless in the water not by lifeguards, but by another swimmer. The Morning Call reports that an 11-year-old boy found Roberts at 12:45 pm while swimming underwater. An unidentified chaperone pulled the unconscious child from the water, at which time lifeguards performed CPR.

The stepfather, identified as Daniel Howey, claimed on a Facebook posting that his stepson had hit his head on the bottom of the pool. However, in a statement, the amusement resort denied that the boy had struck his head. In comments published in the Bloomsburg Press-Enterprise, Knoebel's co-owner Buddy Knoebel suggested the boy was diving into a four- to five-foot-deep section of the pool posted with signs warning against diving.

It is unclear whether or not lifeguards noted this activity and why they did not intervene.

An autopsy was performed on the victim, and the police were conducting an investigation of the horrific theme park accident.

Theme Park Accidents can take many forms—running the gamut from a malfunctioning ride, to irresponsible behaviors and simple, straightforward tragedy. Both amusement park guests, as well as workers, have been killed or injured over the years in amusement park accidents. Some theme parks are multi-nationals, while others are private, family-run enterprises like the Knoebels Resort.

In some cases, events such as a rollercoaster accident are the result of poorly maintained rides. Such tragedies often result in a call to an amusement parks injury lawyer.