In a heartbreaking incident, a six-year-old boy named Michael Jeffrey Stewart tragically drowned on his very first day at a summer camp in New Jersey, leaving his mother Enjoli devastated.
Michael was full of excitement about attending Liberty Day Camp, which his mother had carefully chosen and paid $6,000 for. Sadly, his joy turned to tragedy when he encountered difficulties while swimming in a pool at Liberty Lake in Mansfield Township.
Enjoli shared her deep sorrow, saying, “I’m going to miss my cuddles. He was my baby. He was my little man. He was my protector. I did everything I could to make sure he got placed into the right school and the right camp.”
Michael, who loved basketball, baseball, and had plans for piano lessons, was found unconscious in the shallow end of the pool. The camp’s owner, Andy Pritikin, expressed profound sadness in a letter to parents, stating, “I am so sorry this happened. We are absolutely devastated and heartbroken.”
He assured that this was the first such incident in the camp’s 20-year history and outlined new safety measures like implementing a buddy system at the pool.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to support Michael’s family with funeral expenses. It highlighted Michael’s remarkable journey, having been born prematurely at 23 weeks but defying the odds to become a loving and intelligent boy who touched the lives of everyone around him.
The fundraiser noted, “Michael Jeffrey had a love of learning, protected his little sister Layla and mom, and had a fascination with big words. He had a heart of gold.”
The community has rallied behind the family during this difficult time, demonstrating an outpouring of support and sympathy for their loss.
