A 21-year-old man from Detroit tragically lost his life in a drowning incident yesterday evening at Kensington Lake making it the 10th such incident to have taken place in Oakland County this year, a concerningly high number.
This shocking incident took place around 6 p.m. when the young man was out swimming at Martindale Beach in the environs of Kensington Metropark. Apparently, he went underwater and never came back up.
Oakland County Sheriff, Michael Bouchard, referred to this incident as a tragic accident that has been happening all too often. “A source of great fun and joy can become a point of tragedy as we have seen far too often in our lakes this summer,” he commented. He strongly advises people to keep life-saving equipment close by while swimming and to keep an eye on each other. Especially for those who are not good swimmers, wearing a flotation device might be a lifesaver.
In the same month of July, Oakland County has already witnessed three other drownings:
- A 62-year-old Detroit man fell off a boat into White Lake on July 6 and failed to resurface.
- On July 16, a 21-year-old from Highland Township drowned in Townsend Lake in Independence Township.
- A 20-year-old man from Detroit drowned in Taylor Lake in Rose Township while swimming with a friend on July 20.
In yesterday’s tragic incident, the 21-year-old was swimming with a friend when he began to struggle in the water. Reports suggest that he might have tried to grab a nearby buoy but failed to maintain his grasp. As the friend did not speak English, it was difficult for him to convey the severity of the situation to others on the shore. Another swimmer noticed the distressed young man go underwater and immediately alerted the authorities.
The Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team, alongside Southeast Michigan Dive Group Strike Teams from Livingston and Wayne counties, discovered the man in nearly 6 to 8 feet of water, approximately 50 yards from the shore. Unfortunately, he was unresponsive when he was brought to the shore. Paramedics from the Milford Township Fire Department rushed him to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
