Young girl dies at Rock Island water park

ROCK ISLAND -- Rock Island school officials say a 6-year-old kindergarten student died after she was pulled from the water by lifeguards at the Whitewater Junction public water park.

Rock Island School District spokeswoman Holly Sparkman says the girl was pronounced dead Thursday afternoon at Trinity Medical Center's West Campus shortly after lifeguards failed in an attempt to revive her with CPR.

Sparks declined to name the child, but said she was among close to 300 kindergarten-through-sixth grade students on a field trip from Francis Willard Elementary School.

Rock Island Parks and Recreation Director William Nelson says it's the first drowning in the history of Whitewater Junction, which often draws 700 to 800 daily visitors during the summer months.