Tragic First Day: 6-year-old drowns at $6K summer camp in NJ
A six-year-old boy named Michael Stewart from Lumberton, New Jersey, tragically drowned on his first day at the Liberty Lake Day Camp. The incident occurred around 2 PM on Monday. Camp staff found him unresponsive in the pool. Despite immediate CPR efforts, Michael was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Michael had been participating in a swim session for first and second graders. It was part of an inclusion program for children with additional or special needs. His mother, Enjoli Stewart, expressed her heartbreak to Fox 29, stating:
“Liberty Lakes messed up. Big time. And now I don’t have a son anymore. That’s heartbreaking.”
The camp charges $6,100 per child for the summer. They claim it had adequate supervision at the pool, including a group leader, two counselors, three adult advocates, and four lifeguards. However, it remains unclear how Michael drowned. In addition, it’s unclear how long he was underwater before being noticed.
In a letter to parents, camp owner and director Andy Pritikin expressed his devastation. Also, he announced the introduction of additional safety measures, including a buddy system, to prevent future incidents.
A GoFundMe page for Michael’s family highlighted his journey, stating, “Michael came into this world a fighter from the day he was born… After his fight into the world, this is so tragic that on his first day of camp he would not return home that day.”
The camp resumed normal operations on Thursday, including reopening the pool.
Source: Fox 29
Tragic First Day: 6-year-old drowns at $6K summer camp in NJ
