13-Year-Old Girl Dies After Accident at Orlando Theme Park
A 13-year-old girl was pulled from a pool at Orlando, Florida’s Discovery Cove, a sister theme park to SeaWorld Orlando, after she was found unresponsive.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said that deputies had been called to the park between 11:00 and 11:30 Tuesday morning, according to WFTV.
Investigators initially told the outlet that the girl had been taken to the hospital in critical condition, but WESH later reported that the teen had died the following day.
Anna Beaumont was pronounced dead sometime Wednesday, WESH reported.
The medical examiner’s office listed her cause of death as accidental drowning, according to the station.
However, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office told WESH that Beaumont’s death remained under active investigation.
“Our staff responded to an emergency involving a guest yesterday. Our team provided care and contacted Orange County Fire & Rescue,” SeaWorld said in a statement to WFTV. “When emergency personnel arrived, they took over care and transported the guest to a nearby hospital.
“Out of respect for privacy of our guests, we do not provide any health information,” the company added. “Our thoughts are with this family.”
Discovery Cove is an all-inclusive resort that allows visitors the opportunity to swim with dolphins and snorkel among “thousands of tropical fish and rays,” according to its website.
According to The Associated Press, the park covers 58 acres adjacent to SeaWorld Orlando.
A park spokeswoman didn’t respond to the AP’s request for comment on Beaumont’s death.
This month, the park added an “Ultimate Animal Experience” to its offerings, allowing visitors a half-day with a “Discovery Cove zoological expert” and more up-close encounters with the park’s animals, WKMG reported on May 7.
“A day at Discovery Cove is already a dream come true for animal lovers,” Buck Lyman, Discovery Cove’s Vice President of Zoological, told the outlet.
“But this new Ultimate Animal Experience takes it to a whole new level with even more one-on-one interactions and time spent with our zoological team learning about the animals, their care and well-being, and more,” he added.
The $249 add-on allows a visitor to enter the park before its opening for a “private, guided snorkel session” in the park’s Grand Reef area, as well as a tour of some of the behind-the scenes activities involved in caring for the animals on exhibit.
Spectrum News reported in January that the park had filed plans with the county for a 250-room hotel on the property, near the park’s entrance.
The company had previously filed plans for a hotel at SeaWorld Orlando, a 15-story, 504-room hotel currently dubbed “Project Starboard,” according to Spectrum News.
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