A 13-year-old boy was found unresponsive in Stony Creek Lake at Stony Creek Metropark, Shelby Township on Monday evening, around 7 p.m., authorities confirmed. According to officials, the youth was discovered in the water and required immediate resuscitation efforts from first responders who promptly arrived at the scene. Hilary Simmet, a spokeswoman for the Huron-Clinton Metroparks, shared with The Detroit News, that the boy was thereafter transported to a hospital, yet his condition was not updated as of Tuesday morning.
The incident adds to a sobering string of water-related accidents in the area over recent weeks, including four drownings in Oakland County lakes. On Saturday, a 21-year-old man from Detroit succumbed after going underwater at Martindale Beach in Kensington Metropark, with Metropark authorities indicating this was the tenth such incident in Oakland County in 2024, as reported by FOX 2 Detroit. Adding to the dismay, there was no lifeguard on duty at the time of Monday's emergency, although swim-at-your-own-risk signs were posted around the lake.
Echoing the severity of the situation, Macomb County Sheriff Wickersham urged the public to heed water safety precautions, imploring adherence to posted rules and law; his statement was detailed by FOX 2 Detroit: "Water safety is no joke. While we want everyone to have fun on the water, we also ask people to exercise caution." This also marks only the second water-related incident in Macomb County this year.
Onlookers at the scene included Michael Griffis of Mt. Clemens, who, alongside others witnessing the event, rushed to assist in the rescue efforts. Griffis described the boy being found by a lady on a paddleboat, “A lady that was on a paddle boat or canoe of some sort, she seen his bathing suit and she dove in and grabbed a hold of him," Griffis told WXYZ. He acknowledged the impact the incident had on him personally, revealing, "I feel for them as a parent, It's actually really bothering me right now talking about it.” Griffis also mentioned having warned his own daughters about water safety due to the recent spate of drownings, just before witnessing the harrowing event.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard spoke to WXYZ regarding the uptick in drownings, saying, "It's been a hot summer and a fun summer for many but tragically, that activity has brought a lot of people, sometimes people who are not used to being on the water."
