KTLA

Boy died after medical incident ‘outside of pool,’ Orange County water park says

The Wild Rivers Water Park has issued a statement about the incident that left a young boy dead on Saturday.

The Irvine-based park said a boy experienced a medical emergency outside of a pool on Saturday. After what the park called a “swift” response from emergency services, the boy was transported to a local hospital, where he later died.

Despite the park saying the boy was 12, his mother told KSWB in San Diego, which also belongs to KTLA’s parent company Nexstar, that he was 11.

His name and official cause of death were not released.

“Our hearts go out to the boy’s family and loved ones during this difficult time,” the statement reads in part. “We ask that you keep them in your thoughts and prayers.”

Irvine police announced the death on Sunday, stating that it was “not water related.”

Wild Rivers Water Park was originally open from 1986 to 2011. The current iteration and location, at 10000 Great Park Boulevard, opened in the summer of 2022.