Six-year-old Michael Stewart was excited for his first day at summer camp. According to his mother, Enjoli Stewart, Michael even fell asleep with his swimming goggles on the night before.
Enjoli was at work on Monday, June 24, when she got a devastating call from a South New Jersey hospital.
According to a press release by the Office of the Burlington County Prosecutor, Michael was found unresponsive in a pool at Liberty Lake Day Camp shortly after 2 p.m. He was pulled out by a lifeguard and transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
“All of us at Liberty Lake Day Camp are devastated and grieving over the tragic passing of our young camper,” a Liberty Lake Day Camp spokesperson told NBC10. “This senseless tragedy took a life that was far too young. There are no words that feel appropriate enough to capture our heartache and mourning.”
During the afternoon, the camp has “free swim,” where campers can swim in at least one of the pools with supervision. “The normal breakdowns in the afternoon during free swim are that there’s three lifeguards in chairs at the little pool, with a fourth roving lifeguard, which far exceeds the ratios,” the camp’s director, Andy Pritikin said.
Additionally, the camp has three registered nurses, several lifeguards, and the Mansfield First Aid Squad located nearby, according to Pritikin.
Enjoli said her son was a “fighter.” Michael was born at 23 weeks and doctors told his mother he would not have a normal life, but Michael did not let that stop him.
“Michael taught me how to fight, and he taught me to fight without using my hands,” she said. “He taught me how to fight in a different manner.”
Michael was a rising first grader. The superintendent for Michael’s school district, Dr. Colleen Murray, sent a message to families about the loss. “We extend our deepest condolences to the family as well as our education professionals who knew and worked with Michael,” Murray wrote.
The school district will host a lemonade stand fundraiser in honor of Michael. The Lumberton Police Fraternal Order has also posted a GoFundMe for the family.
Law enforcement is handling the investigation to hopefully get answers into what led up to Michael’s drowning. The camp staff say they are cooperating fully with the investigation.
Liberty Lake Day Camp remained open during the week. A social worker was on site to counsel children who witnessed the incident.
An official autopsy was conducted, but the results have not been released for public record. Michael’s family has also retained a lawyer.