Credit: Inside the MagicAn emergency incident occurred at Dollywood recently, sparking a response from an off-duty police officer.
Nestled in the stunning Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, Dollywood is much more than just a theme park—it’s an immersive celebration of country music legend Dolly Parton’s heritage and Appalachian culture.
Since its opening in 1986, Dollywood has grown into one of the country’s top attractions. Regularly outranking the likes of Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort, the park boasts a near-unbeatable blend of thrill rides (Lightning Rod and The Wild Eagle), lively musical performances, and unique cultural experiences.
As the name suggests, guests can also find plenty of Dolly Parton’s own iconic identity stamped all over the park. Earlier this year, the Dolly Parton Experience replaced the iconic Chasing Rainbows Museum, giving guests a deeper look into the life and career of the park’s “Dreamer in Chief” herself.
Impressive though it may be, Dollywood is prone to the same issues as any other theme park. Rare though they may be, incidents can and do occur on property, with the most recent case sparking a response from an off-duty police officer.
According to The Oakland Press, Sergeant Paul DeSousa was vacationing from Florida (AKA the theme park hub of the U.S.) when he responded to cries for help. A Dollywood employee was attempting the Heimlich maneuver on a young male guest who was not breathing.
“Sergeant DeSousa took the boy and assessed his condition,” Flager County Sheriff’s Office said. “He couldn’t see anything in the boy’s mouth or throat, but the boy was not breathing, and his face had begun to turn blue.”
Although DeSousa couldn’t identify an object in the boy’s mouth or throat, the child began turning blue and stopped breathing. DeSousa immediately began performing CPR, and a paramedic also visiting the theme park off-duty joined in. The two worked together to restore the boy’s breathing, and gradually, color returned to his face. They remained with him until an ambulance arrived.
This isn’t the only Dollywood incident to make headlines this year. In July, a thunderstorm caused flash flooding in the park, leaving one guest injured and multiple cars underwater.
Guests were left unimpressed by the park’s response, with one disgruntled visitor commenting on its closure announcement, “The park was not prepared for that, as soon as the flooding started, most employees disappeared, and the few you could find were totally lost with no direction from management. Shocked not to see any security guards or any staff direction people out of the park or to safety.”
Earlier that month, the park faced another unexpected closure—this time due to a water mains leak. Dollywood was also forced to close early during extremely cold temperatures last week.
Are you visiting Dollywood this Christmas?