Detroit man, 21, drowns in Kensington Lake; 10th drowning in Oakland County this year

MILFORD TOWNSHIP, MI (FOX 2) – For the tenth time this year, and the fourth time since July 6, someone has drowned in an Oakland County lake.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard called today’s drowning a tragic accident that happens too often.

At around 6:00 p.m. today, a 21-year-old Detroit man was swimming in Kensington Lake when he went under the water and never surfaced. He was swimming at Martindale Beach in Kensington Metropark when it happened.

“A source of great fun and joy can become a site of tragedy, as we have seen all too often in our lakes this summer,” Bouchard said. “I encourage people to have emergency equipment nearby, including flotation devices, and to watch out for each other in the water. If you are not a strong swimmer, it is a good idea to wear a flotation device.”

The other drownings in July were:

• On July 6, a 62-year-old Detroit man fell from a boat into the water on White Lake and never resurfaced.

• On July 16, a 21-year-old swimmer from Highland Township drowned in Townsend Lake in Independence Township

• On July 20, a 20-year-old Detroit man drowned while swimming with a friend in Taylor Lake in Rose Township.

The Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team (SSRT) was initially dispatched after a report was received of a possible child falling into the water.

Upon arrival, SSRT discovered the Detroit man was swimming with a friend when the man began to struggle and go underwater in the marked swimming area. Investigators
think the victim tried to grab a nearby buoy but couldn’t hold on. The friend didn’t speak English, making it difficult to convey to others on shore that the man was in danger.

Another swimmer who was in the water at the time saw the victim go under and was able to alert authorities. SSRT, assisted by Southeast Michigan Dive Group assault teams from Livingston and Wayne
provinces, found the man in approximately six to eight feet of water, 150 feet from shore.

He was unresponsive when taken to shore.

The man was taken to a nearby hospital by the Milford Township Fire Department, where he was later pronounced dead.