MILFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A 21-year-old became the fourth person to drown in an Oakland County lake in the span of three weeks.
Milford Township drowning
Oakland County officials were called around 6 p.m. Saturday, July 27, 2024, to Martindale Beach at the Kensington Metropark, which is in Milford Township.
Someone originally reported that a child had gone into the lake. Police later learned it was a 21-year-old Detroit man.
Officials said the man had been swimming with a friend when he started to struggle and went underwater. He was within the marked swimming area.
Investigators believe the man tried to grab a nearby buoy, but couldn’t hold on. His friend didn’t speak English, so it was difficult to communicate to others on shore what had happened, according to authorities.
Another swimmer saw the man go underwater and called police.
His body was found by divers in about 6-8 feet of water 50 yards from the shore.
He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
“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,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. “I encourage people to have emergency capabilities nearby, including flotation devices, and watch each other while in the water. If you are not a strong swimmer, it’s a good idea to wear a flotation device.”
Officials continue to investigate.
3 other July drownings
Deputies said there have been a total of 10 deaths at Oakland County lakes so far this year, including four in the last three weeks.
A 62-year-old Detroit man fell off a boat July 6 in White Lake and didn’t resurface.
A 21-year-old Highland Township resident drowned July 16 at Townsend Lake in Independence Township.
A 20-year-old Detroit man drowned while swimming with a friend at Taylor Lake in Rose Township.