New Jersey family heartbroken after 6-year-old’s first day at camp turns into tragedy

The first day of the summer camp 6-year-old Michael Jeffrey Stewart was overly excited about turned out to be his last. Sadly, the sweet child drowned and the tragedy has raised serious concerns about the Liberty Lake Day Camp’s safety measures.

Michael’s heartbroken mother, Enjoli Stewart, shared her frustration with the camp, saying her son, who was a beginner swimmer, was supposed to be in an instructional swim class, but it did not take place. She added that Michael was also assigned for a one-on-one aide who was supposed to be around Michael at all times.

Facebook/Kayla Ogletree

Enjoli stated that the camp should have done more in order to prevent her son’s tragic passing. She also suggested that out of respect for her family, the pool where Michael drowned should have been closed for 24 to 48 hours, but the camp decided to proceed with their activities, stating that safety and well-being of campers and staff are their top priority.

Michael’s unresponsive body was found in shallow water by a lifeguard during the afternoon swim period for campers of first and second grade.

Facebook/Kayla Ogletree

Despite the attempts to revive him, he was pronounced dead at the hospital.

At the time his mother was alerted of the tragedy, she was sharing with a co-worker how exciting Michael had been for the camp trip. He even slept with his googles on the previous night. Right then, her phone rang and she was told to rush to Mount Holly-Virtua.

The Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office and Mansfield Township police are investigating the incident. An autopsy was conducted on Tuesday by the Burlington County medical examiner.

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