A tragic incident occurred on Saturday at the Port Huron State Game Area's Hewitt’s Pit area, where a 19-year-old Imlay City man drowned while swimming with friends. The Detroit News reported that the Michigan State Police were alerted to the incident around 6 p.m. According to their report, the man was struggling while attempting to swim across the pond and eventually went submerged underwater.
Efforts to save the man by his companions were in vain, as they were unable to prevent his drowning and immediately sought emergency assistance. Despite the quick response from the St. Clair County Dive Team, they were unable to resuscitate the man. In a post by MSP Third District, it was detailed that several agencies, including the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office and local fire departments, provided aid following the incident.
Lapeer Post troopers responded to Hewitt’s Pit area of Port Huron State Game Area in Grant Township for a report of a drowning about 6 PM 09/21/2024. Three friends were swimming across the pond when a 19 y/o Imlay City man began struggling and went under the water. His friends… pic.twitter.com/HHdK6wLvgO
— MSP Third District (@mspbayregion) September 22, 2024
Authorities have not released the name of the man who drowned. This marks another death in what has been, a series of drownings in Michigan this year. Audacy notes that at least eleven drownings have been recorded in Oakland County alone with a total of 77 in the Great Lakes region, including 12 near Michigan beaches, as per the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project.
This incident adds to a growing concern over water safety in Michigan. With an uptick in drownings this year, it underlines an urgent call for awareness and preventive measures to combat this trend. Unintentional drownings remain a pressing issue across the United States, claiming over 4,000 lives every year, CDC statistics depict a sobering reality, with Michigan's age-adjusted drowning death rate slightly below the national average.
