MILFORD, Mich. (WXYZ0 — Water safety is the top concern for families visiting metro parks, just a day after a 6-year-old girl from Detroit drowned at a beach inside Kensington Metro Park.
A day after the tragic drowning of a 6-year-old girl at Martindale Beach, safety is the number one thing on the minds of visitors in the water.
“I left the kids at home because of it. I’m not saying they don’t deserve to have fun,” says mother Erin Alexander.
Alexander recalls the horrible loss that unfolded at this Kensington Park Beach on Monday. Police say a child separated from her mother went missing in the water and rescuers giving CPR sadly could not save her life.
Parent of 4 Jazmine Thorne also going over what’s become a ritual for her kids at a place with no lifeguard.
“Buddy system. Stay right in front of me.”
“We have to tell her where we are going.”
“Use the buddy system. Don’t go out swimming by yourself,” says Sgt. Renee Yax with the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office.
Yax has an important message saying water safety begins with what you wear.
“Dressing them in bright clothing. That’s another way to help them stand out in a busy park. Type 1 or 2 life jackets. Those have a pillow around back to keep people upright,” she says.
She adds you must know how to swim and call 911 right away in an emergency as each second counts and local and state parks may not have a lifeguard on duty.
“I was surprised they didn’t have any today considering what happened yesterday,” says Alexander.
“Swim classes are fantastic. Make sure people entering the water know how to swim,” says Yax.
CPR classes are also encouraged.
In the meantime, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office is continuing their investigation into what happened yesterday.
