6-Year-Old’s First Day of Camp Turns into Tragedy: New Jersey Family Devastated

What started as an exciting summer adventure for young Michael Stewart ended in tragedy. This incident has raised serious concerns about the camp’s safety measures and has led to a full investigation.

On Monday, at Liberty Lake Day Camp in Burlington County, New Jersey, six-year-old Michael Jeffrey Stewart drowned on his very first day of camp. This heartbreaking news has left Michael’s family in deep grief and has shocked the whole community.

Michael’s mother, Enjoli Stewart, shared her deep sadness and frustration with the camp. “Liberty Lakes messed up. Big time. And now I don’t have a son anymore. That’s heartbreaking,” she told FOX 29.

Michael had been looking forward to his first day at the camp, not knowing it would be his last. He was set to attend the camp for several weeks, and Enjoli had spent thousands of dollars to ensure he had the best experience. She said:

“I did everything I could to make sure he was placed in the right school and the right camp.”

Facebook/Kayla Ogletree

The incident happened during the afternoon swim period for campers who were entering first and second grades.

Camp officials reported that a lifeguard found Michael unresponsive in a shallow pool. The lifeguard quickly pulled him out of the water and tried to perform CPR.

Despite the attempts to save him, Michael was pronounced dead at a local hospital later that day.

Michael’s life was a fight from the beginning. Born as a micro-preemie at just 23 weeks and weighing only one pound and three ounces, doctors had not expected him to survive.

Despite the odds, Michael defied expectations with his mother’s relentless advocacy and unwavering faith. He grew into a bright, loving, and caring boy whose resilience and passion for learning won the hearts of everyone who knew him.

“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.”

Michael was especially close to his younger sister, Layla. They enjoyed playing basketball and baseball together. Enjoli described her son as “extremely smart,” with an impressive vocabulary.

Facebook/Kayla Ogletree

Enjoli described Michael as a curious child who loved learning new things. He was excited about starting piano classes, which were next on his summer to-do list.

Liberty Lake Day Camp, which had just opened for the summer on the day of the incident, expressed their sorrow in a statement.

Camp founder Andy Pritikin wrote, “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.”

Michael’s mother was talking to a coworker about her son’s excitement for the camp when she received the heartbreaking news.

“Someone asked me how my day was going, and I told them about Michael and how he fell asleep the night before with his goggles on,” she said. “He was so excited about swimming, and then my phone rang. I was told I needed 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.

Enjoli has raised concerns about the camp’s safety protocols. She noted that Michael, a beginner swimmer, was supposed to be in an instructional swim class, but it did not take place.

She also pointed out that Michael was assigned a one-on-one aide who was meant to be with him at all times. However, that aide is still employed at the camp.

Pritikin acknowledged that typically, staff members do not conduct instructional swim classes on the first day of camp.

The camp employs 25 lifeguards certified in first aid, CPR, and the use of AEDs, as well as three registered nurses.

Despite these measures, Enjoli believes more should have been done to prevent her son’s death. She suggested that, out of respect for her family, the camp should have closed the pool for 24 to 48 hours following the incident.

However, Pritikin stated that experts advised continuing camp activities, emphasizing that the safety and well-being of campers and staff are their top priorities.

Michael was a rising first-grade student in the Lumberton School District. The district released a statement expressing their deepest condolences to the Stewart family.

In support of the family, a lemonade stand fundraiser will be held at the Old Fire House on Main Street in Lumberton on Saturday. This event is especially meaningful because Michael loved making lemonade and hosting lemonade stands in his neighborhood.

Additionally, a GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help the Stewart family with funeral and memorial expenses. The campaign highlights Michael’s remarkable journey, from his premature birth to his joyful life.

Michael was a rising first-grade student in the Lumberton School District. The district released a statement offering their deepest condolences to the Stewart family.

To support the family, a lemonade stand fundraiser will be held at the Old Fire House on Main Street in Lumberton on Saturday. This event is especially meaningful because Michael loved making lemonade and hosting lemonade stands in his neighborhood.

Additionally, a GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help the Stewart family with funeral and memorial expenses. The campaign highlights Michael’s remarkable journey from his premature birth to his joyful life.

The campaign organizer shared how doctors initially gave Michael little chance of survival. “Michael’s mother refused to believe that, and with every ounce of her strength, advocacy, and faith, fought for his life,” the campaign states.

Seeing Michael grow into a wonderful little boy filled Enjoli’s heart with joy. Unfortunately, that joy was cut short. Michael is remembered for his kindness and his heart of gold.

Facebook/Kayla Ogletree

Not only was Michael a loving presence for his mother and younger sister, but he also touched the lives of everyone around him.

“The family is in need of a lot of support at this time, as you can imagine,” the GoFundMe campaign states. “We are asking for your help in raising money for Michael Jeffrey and his family so that he can be given the funeral and memorial services that he deserves to honor his life. Anything you can give to the family is much appreciated.”

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The update also mentioned another GoFundMe campaign started by Lumberton Township in response to the tragedy.

The Stewart family expressed their gratitude for this additional support and encouraged people to contribute to any of the fundraising campaigns.

In response to the incident, Liberty Lake Day Camp has made its clinical social worker available for counseling to those affected. The camp has also pledged to continue its summer program with a heightened emphasis on safety measures.

A girl waves to the train that passes by every day. Three years later, the train driver sees a poster on the window

When was the last time you showed kindness to an unknown individual?Even if you believe that this is a pointless question and that you shouldn’t bother trying to help someone you don’t even know, keep in mind that doing good is always worthwhile.Behaving kindly toward others, even complete strangers you see on a daily basis, has a greater positive impact on their life than you may realize.Furthermore, you never know who among those total strangers will stick around and end up playing a significant role in your life.The tale, shared on the Facebook page *Love What Matters* by Briana Hefley Shepard, describes the peculiar bond that developed between a small girl named Rio and the train conductors who were eagerly awaiting her greeting from their enormous window.Your heart will melt at this story.Ensure that you finish reading the story.About three years ago, our company relocated to the new site.Because of its proximity to the railroad lines, we have a front-row seat to observe all the locomotive activity.The workers quickly noticed Rio extending a greeting to them, and they returned the kind.

They made it into a ritual over time.They let out a whistle, she hurried to the window, they opened their windows, and all of them grinned broadly.Almost every time, I would cry. Then Rio began attending school a few weeks ago.I was impacted by her daycare adjustment a bit more than I had anticipated, but more on the first day when the train passed and she wasn’t present.They opened their windows and whistled, but I was the only one crying and hesitantly waving.Next day, I created a placard.All I wrote was, “She started school.”When I heard the whistle, I hurried to the window and waved my placard.That was three weeks ago. “Oh, I shed a tear.”

Someone knocked on the door this morning, nearly minutes after I entered the store.It was a dude with earbuds hanging down who was wearing a bright yellow t-shirt.Because that’s what we do here, I assumed it was a construction worker who wanted to discuss construction-related topics.I was in error. He had come to inquire about the blonde girl who was greeting the trains.Everyone was curious about her whereabouts as she was an employee.They stopped higher up the tracks, came to our building, and knocked on our door because they had a short train today.Oh, I did cry.Despite having seen my placard, they were unable to read what it said.

Though they had to double check, they had believed she had started school.Her greetings, he added, brightened their day.For three years, they had shared these times together. They miss her and want to do something for her.When they inquired about sending her something, I answered, “Of course!”In a few weeks, they will send her a birthday present.Throughout the past few years, it has been nothing short of miraculous to see their unusual bond.I feel optimism and love knowing that they have been impacted just as much as we have.My faith in mankind and goodness has been reinforced by their presence today and their ongoing generosity to Rio.These are the times we shall never forget.

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