Oakland County shocked by another tragic incident
In a disheartening turn of events, a 21-year-old becomes the fourth person to tragically drown in Oakland County’s lakes in just three weeks.
Incident Details
The distressing incident took place on July 27, 2024 around 6 p.m. at Martindale Beach at the Kensington Metropark located in Milford Township. Authorities were initially notified that a child had allegedly entered the lake, but later discovered it was actually a young man from Detroit.
The 21-year-old had been swimming with a friend when he began to face difficulty and eventually went underwater. It is understood that he tried to hold onto a nearby buoy but failed. His friend, who didn’t speak English, struggled to articulate what had transpired, causing further delays.
Fortunately, another swimmer noticed the disturbing event and alerted the police. The young man’s body was found by divers in water 6-8 feet deep, approximately 50 yards from the shore. He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead.
Words of Caution
Oakland County’s Sheriff issued a statement urging people to exercise extreme caution when swimming and to keep safety equipment on hand, such as flotation devices. He also suggested that non-swimmers and those not confident in their abilities should wear a flotation device at all times.
“A source of great fun and joy can become a location of tragedy, as we have seen far too often in our lakes this summer,” he warned.
A Sad Pattern
Tragically, this is not an isolated incident. An alarming number of ten deaths have occurred in Oakland County’s lakes this year, with four of these happenings in just the last three weeks. The victims include a 62-year-old who fell off a boat in White Lake, a 21-year-old from Highland Township who drowned in Townsend Lake, and a 20-year-old from Detroit who drowned while swimming at Taylor Lake.
The authorities are deeply concerned and have launched investigations into these incidents.
