ST. CLAIR SHORES, Mich. (WXYZ) — A 57-year-old Detroit man drowned in Lake St. Clair Metropark beach this past Saturday around 5:30 p.m.
Police say at the time of the incident, the victim and his girlfriend were in the swim zone. While the investigation is still ongoing, police believe alcohol is not suspected to be a factor.
I was able to confirm the man's identity after speaking to several of the victim's friends. They all say Abdul Bari was always looking out for the community and willing to help anyone in need.
"I was sitting here playing with his cat, waiting for him and his girlfriend to return home," Hassan Gibson said.
Bari's friend of 24 years, Gibson, showed me his last text to Bari this past Saturday.
"Salaam Akhi (blessing upon you, brother). I'm outside. I'm trying to repay you," Gibson said reading the message.
Bari lent Gibson $200 last Wednesday. That was the last time Gibson heard his friend's voice because Bari's girlfriend later shared the tragic news.
"An hour later, I got the text, 'Hassan call me.' So I called and she said... Abdul drowned," Gibson recalled.
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Police say the victim's girlfriend and multiple good Samaritans searched for the victim for approximately five minutes. Upon finding the victim, life-saving measures were taken, but he was pronounced dead at the hospital.
"Man, that was my dawg. That was my best friend, like a brother. You know, when me and my wife got divorced, he was all I had. He gave me a job, he helped me get my own car, he helped me get my life back on track," Gibson said.
Imam Mohammed Ali Elahi also knew Abdul and described him as a dedicated construction worker who used his hard-earned money to help the community.
"Take food to the poor, if there's furniture, something like that that people are in need. He was an amazing person... his heart was beating for humanity," said Elahi of Islamic House of Wisdom.
Sadly, this is the third drowning or near drowning at a Metroparks beach in nine days. Since Metroparks has yet to answer if they plan to introduce more safety measures at their beaches including lifeguards, I took the question to the Macomb County sheriff.
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"Do you think more needs to be done regarding water safety here in Michigan?" I asked.
"The whole thing is about educating the public, educating the swimmers, but it really goes down to the individual," Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham said.
"What's your message for folks?" I asked
"You need to know your ability to swim. You need to know where you are swimming and never swim alone," Wickersham responded.
Signs are posted at the beach informing people that there are no lifeguards on the beach, but they have lifeguards in the pool area. Life jackets and rings are also available for people to use, and experts always recommend them when swimming at the beach.
