Jaylen Brickerson, Detroit man drowns after jumping into 55ft water in Keego Harbor that he thought was shallow. Tragedy took place at Cass Lake, Oakland County, Michigan, as officials issue warnings and offer tips as people head out to the water during the summer.
A Detroit area man drowned over the weekend after jumping into what he believed to be shallow waters during a boat outing with friends.
Jaylen Bernard Tariq Brickerson, 26, drowned after jumping off a boat in Keego Harbor, Cass Lake in Oakland County, Michigan on Sunday.
According to officials, Jaylen Brickerson, the eldest of five siblings, was not a strong swimmer and mistakenly thought he was near a sandbar when he was actually in 55 feet ( 17 meters) of water, WXYZ reported.
26 year old Detroit man misjudged depth after boat moving over sandbar
‘He thought it was shallow. He knew he wasn’t a strong swimmer or others knew he wasn’t a strong swimmer, thought they were near a sandbar, they were nowhere near a sandbar. In fact, they were at 55 feet of depth of water,’ Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard told the outlet.
A friend tried to save him, but Jaylen panicked and sank. Rescue teams found him underwater within six minutes, but he later died at the hospital.
Investigators believe the 26 year old misjudged water depths after the boat he had been was over a sandbar only to move into deeper water before the ‘poor swimmer’ jumped in.
A friend attempted a rescue but was unable to hold onto the panicked man, who then submerged and did not resurface. Search and rescue crews located Brickerson approximately 1,700 feet from shore and CPR was administered, but he was later pronounced dead at a hospital, MLive reported.
Oakland County officials warn of water safety after spate of summer drownings
The tragedy follows a spate of drownings amid searing weather including that of a 2-year-old boy in the Clinton River in Harrison Township and another 2-year-old who drowned in a pool at a Southgate apartment complex over the weekend along of that of a celebrity hairstylist, who had been partying on a yacht when she fell into waters in Lake Michigan.
Last year, Oakland County recorded 17 drownings, with 13 occurring on waterways. Bouchard identified common factors for summer revelers to be mindful of.
‘Common theme is either they’ve been involved in some kind of drinking or they’re not a strong swimmer or someone is not paying attention and causes some kind of issues,’ Bouchard said.
The sheriff emphasized that drownings can happen in both deep and shallow water, and that proper safety measures, including wearing a water vest are essential.
‘Regardless of if you’re a strong swimmer or not, have emergency equipment at hand. If you’re not a strong swimmer wear a flotation device,’ Bouchard said according to a release from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.
Adding, ‘An enjoyable day on the water can rapidly become a tragic moment.’
A GoFundme fundraiser for Jaylen’s funeral costs come Monday night had raised just on $2K.
