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.

Michael was supposed to spend a couple of weeks at the camp and his mom had spent thousands of dollars to ensure he had the best experience. “I did everything I could to make sure he was placed in the right school and the right camp,” she told FOX 29.

Michael was a fighter from the day he was welcomed into the world. Born as a preemie at just 23 weeks and weighing only one pound and three ounces, the chances of his survival were dubbed dull by doctors. But he defeated the odds and grew up into the most loving, most compassionate young man.

“Michael taught me how to fight and he taught me to fight without using my hands,” Enjoli said. “He taught me how to fight in a different manner.”

He attended first grade and loved playing basketball and baseball with his younger sister Layla. Michael was extremely bright and loved by everyone who knew him.

Camp founder Andy Pritikin shared a statement regarding the trgedy, “All of us at Liberty Lake Day Camp are devastated and grieving over the tragic passing of our young camper. 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.”

A GoFundMe page was started by a friend of the family and the community is organizing a lemonade stand to help with the expenses because Michael loved selling lemonade to his neighbors.

We are so very sorry for this tragic loss.

Please SHARE this article with your family and friends on Facebook.

Bored Daddy

Love and Peace

Monica Pop
Monica Pop
Monica Pop is a senior writer for Bored Daddy magazine covering the latest trending and popular articles across the United States and around the world.

More from author

Related posts

Latest posts

Over 60 killed after fire rips through newly opened mall in Iraq following AC explosion

A devastating fire tore through a newly opened mall, the Corniche Hypermarket Mall, in Kut, eastern Iraq, claiming the lives of at least 61...

Entitled passenger snatched my in-flight meal — but karma served the real dish

What started as a routine cross-country flight quickly turned frustrating for a woman who happened to be seated next to an entitled passenger. The man...

Kate Middleton makes rare comment about Prince Louis

Kate Middleton received a standing ovation when she appeared at the Wimbledon tennis finals last weekend. Her presence at this event has always been embraced...

Our gender reveal cake was gray — then our daughter shared a surprising truth

When my husband and I married, we knew we wanted children. We already had a girl, Maddison, from his first marriage that I got...

Truth behind viral statement after married CEO caught with employee on Coldplay kiss cam

During Coldplay's recent Boston concert, frontman Chris Martin sparkled a viral moment when the 'kiss cam' revealed what many believe is an ongoing affair....

The dog that woke his master

The prognosis for Officer Rami, who was severely injured during a mission, was bleak. After weeks in the hospital, doctors decided to take him...