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.”
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.
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.
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.”
https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto.php%3Ffbid%3D10100546882067904%26set%3Da.527558278974%26type%3D3&show_text=true&width=500
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.
I Returned Home with My Daughter Only to Find Out My Husband Had Disappeared — the Reason Left Me Speechless
They say life can change in an instant. For me, that instant came on a Tuesday evening when I returned home from the park with my four-year-old daughter to find our apartment eerily quiet and my husband’s closet completely empty.
Have you ever had that feeling where your whole world shifts beneath your feet? Where everything you thought you knew suddenly doesn’t make sense anymore?
That’s exactly how I felt when I found that note from my husband, telling me he’d only return if I fulfilled “one request.”
A woman standing in her house | Source: Midjourney
I used to think I had a pretty good handle on my life.
At thirty, I had what most people would consider the whole package. A beautiful daughter, a stable marriage, and a cozy apartment in the city.
Sure, Jordan and I had our moments, like any couple married for six years, but we always worked through them.
I thought my life was going well until that Tuesday evening when my world came crashing down.
A woman standing near a window | Source: Pexels
“Mommy, can we go to the park?” Grace asked that afternoon, her big brown eyes pleading with me as she hugged her favorite stuffed rabbit. “Please? I want to show Mr. Hoppy the new swings!”
I smiled, setting aside the pile of laundry I’d been folding. “You know what? That sounds like a perfect idea.”
The park was just a few blocks from our apartment, and Grace chatted the whole way there about her day at daycare.
A black fence in a park | Source: Pexels
“And then Emma shared her cookies with me at snack time, and Miss Sarah said my drawing was the prettiest!”
“That’s wonderful, sweetie,” I laughed, swinging our joined hands between us. “Was it another unicorn drawing?”
“No, silly! It was our family,” she said. “You and me and Daddy and Mr. Hoppy!”
We spent nearly an hour at the park, Grace conquering the slide at least twenty times before I gave her several final pushes on the swings.
The late afternoon sun was starting to dip when I finally convinced her it was time to head home.
A girl blowing bubbles in a park | Source: Pexels
“But Mommy, just five more minutes?” she begged.
“Come on, munchkin. We need to start thinking about dinner.”
The first sign something was wrong came when we reached our floor. The door to our apartment was slightly ajar, which was unusual. Jordan was always careful about security.
“Jordan?” I called out as we stepped inside. “Hey, are you home early?”
Silence.
A woman standing in her house | Source: Midjourney
“Grace, honey, why don’t you go put Mr. Hoppy in your room?” I suggested, trying to keep my voice casual despite the growing unease in my stomach.
Something felt off.
As soon as Grace disappeared down the hall, I headed straight for our bedroom. But the sight that greeted me made my heart stop.
Jordan’s side of the closet was completely empty. His dresser drawers hung open, cleared out. His laptop was gone from his desk, along with the framed photo of us from our honeymoon that usually sat beside it.
A desk in a bedroom | Source: Midjourney
My hands were shaking as I noticed the piece of paper on his pillow. The message was brief, written in Jordan’s familiar scrawl.
I will return only if you fulfill ONE REQUEST.
I sank onto the edge of the bed, the note crumpling slightly in my trembling fingers. What was happening?
Jordan and I had argued about him working too much just last week, but we’d made up. Everything had been fine. Normal. Hadn’t it?
“Mommy?” Grace’s small voice came from the doorway. “Where’s all Daddy’s stuff?”
A little girl looking straight ahead | Source: Midjourney
I quickly stood up and forced a smile.
“Hey sweetie. Daddy… Daddy had to go away for a little while. But it’s okay. We’re okay.”
As I pulled her into a hug, I wondered if I was trying to convince her or myself. Either way, I had a sinking feeling that nothing was really okay at all.
My first instinct was to call Jordan’s cell. With Grace playing in her room, I paced our living room, listening to the rings until his voicemail picked up.
“Jordan, where are you? What’s going on? Please call me back immediately.”
A woman using her phone | Source: Pexels
I tried messaging him on every social platform we used, but nothing helped. After an hour of silence, I started calling his friends.
“Hey Mike, it’s Kathryn,” I said when his best friend answered. “Have you heard from Jordan today?”
“Kathryn? No, haven’t talked to him since last week’s game night. Everything okay?”
“I… I don’t know. He’s gone. Like, really gone. His clothes, his laptop… everything’s gone, and he left this weird note about coming back if I fulfill some request.”
A woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
There was a long pause. “What? That doesn’t sound like Jordan at all. Have you called Tom or Steve?”
I called everyone I could think of, but nobody had heard anything.
Finally, with my hands shaking, I dialed his parents’ number.
“Linda? It’s Kathryn,” I tried to keep my voice steady. “Is Jordan with you?”
“Jordan? No, honey. Is something wrong? You sound upset.”
An older woman talking on the phone | Source: Pexels
“He’s… he’s gone. I came home and all his things were gone. He left a note saying he’ll only come back if I fulfill some request, but I don’t know what he wants. I can’t reach him anywhere.”
“What do you mean, gone?” Linda’s voice rose with concern.
“Robert!” I heard her call to Jordan’s father. “Robert, come here. Something’s happened with Jordan.”
“We haven’t heard anything from him,” Robert’s gruff voice came on the line. “This isn’t like him at all. Have you called the police?”
“I… no, not yet. I kept hoping he’d call or come back or…”
A woman talking to her in-laws | Source: Midjourney
“Call them,” Robert interrupted firmly. “Right now. We’re coming over.”
I ended the call and dialed 911, my voice cracking as I explained the situation. Within thirty minutes, two officers were at our door – Officers Martinez and Chen according to their badges.
“Ma’am, can you tell us exactly what happened?” Officer Martinez asked, notebook in hand.
I recounted everything while Officer Chen examined the apartment.
A close-up shot of an officer’s uniform | Source: Pexels
Grace had fallen asleep on the couch, exhausted from the park and confused by all the commotion.
“And there were no signs of forced entry?” Officer Chen asked.
“No. He must have just… packed up and left while we were at the park.”
“Any recent arguments? Financial troubles? Signs of depression?”
I shook my head. “Nothing unusual. We had a small argument last week about his work hours, but we resolved it. Everything seemed fine.”
A woman talking to a police officer | Source: Midjourney
They took down all the information, but I could tell from their expressions that there wasn’t much they could do. Jordan was an adult who had left of his own accord.
“We’ll file a missing persons report,” Officer Martinez said gently, “but since there’s no sign of foul play…”
“I understand,” I whispered.
The next three days were a blur. I barely slept, jumping every time my phone buzzed. Jordan’s parents helped with Grace while I made more calls, checked our bank accounts, and tried to piece together any clues I might have missed.
Then came the doorbell on that third day.
A person ringing the doorbell | Source: Pexels
I rushed to answer it, hope surging in my chest, only to find a plain brown package on our welcome mat.
My heart pounded as I picked it up, already knowing somehow that it was from Jordan.
The package had a DNA test and a letter. I quickly took the letter out and read it.
A close-up shot of a handwritten letter | Source: Pexels
Dear Kathryn
I know this may come as a shock, but I need to know the truth. I’ve always suspected something.
Recently, I was looking through some old college photos of yours, and I saw your best friend from back then. As I looked at the picture, I couldn’t help but notice the striking resemblance between her and Grace. Same hair color, same eyes, same nose.
I started wondering if Grace was not really my daughter.
I’m sorry, but I need you to do a DNA test for Grace. I can’t continue without knowing.
If you send me the results and they confirm I’m her father, I’ll return. If not, I can’t come back.
Please, send the results to the address below.
I couldn’t believe it.
A woman holding a letter | Source: Midjourney
Eight years together, and this was what he thought of me? Of our daughter? All because Grace happened to look like my old college friend?
I sat at our kitchen table, staring at that letter until the words blurred.
“You want proof?” I whispered to the empty room. “Fine. You’ll get your proof.”
I went ahead and did the DNA test. Not because Jordan wanted it. Because I wanted to prove how wrong he was.
I quickly took a cheek swab while Grace was sleeping. She barely stirred when I did it. Then, I sealed the sample and sent it for testing.
A woman sitting in her room | Source: Midjourney
While we waited for the results, I threw myself into keeping life normal for Grace. But at night, after she was asleep, the anger would come rushing back.
“Mommy, when is Daddy coming home?” Grace asked one morning over breakfast.
I smoothed her hair, fighting back tears. “I’m not sure, sweetie. But you know what? You and me… we’re going to be just fine.”
“Like Emma and her mommy?” she asked, referring to her friend from daycare whose parents had divorced last year.
“Maybe,” I said softly. “We’ll figure it out together.”
A woman talking to her daughter | Source: Midjourney
When the DNA results finally arrived, I wasn’t even surprised. Of course, Jordan was Grace’s father. I’d never had a single doubt.
But as I held those results in my hands, I realized something important. Proving Jordan wrong wasn’t going to fix what he’d broken.
I sat down at my laptop and began typing.
A woman typing a letter | Source: Pexels
Dear Jordan,
Here are your precious DNA results. Congratulations! You’re officially Grace’s biological father. But you know what? It doesn’t matter anymore. A real father wouldn’t abandon his daughter over a paranoid suspicion. A real husband wouldn’t disappear and leave his family in panic. A real man wouldn’t hide behind notes and packages instead of having an actual conversation.
You wanted the truth? Here’s the truth: We don’t need you. I don’t want someone who could throw away eight years of love and trust because our daughter happens to look like my old friend. Grace deserves better than a father who could doubt her very existence. I deserve better than a husband who could think so little of me.
Don’t bother coming back. We’re done.
-Kathryn
A woman looking straight ahead | Source: Midjourney
I sent both the results and my letter to the address he’d provided. Then I blocked his number, called a lawyer, and started the process of filing for divorce.
That evening, as Grace and I sat coloring at the kitchen table, she looked up at me with those innocent eyes and asked, “Are you sad, Mommy?”
I thought about it for a moment.
“No, sweetie,” I replied, realizing it was true. “I’m not sad. Sometimes the bravest thing we can do is say goodbye to something that’s not good for us anymore.”
She nodded sagely, in that way only four-year-olds can, and went back to her coloring.
A child coloring a rainbow | Source: Pexels
It’s been a week now, and I haven’t heard anything from Jordan. Maybe he’s ashamed. Maybe he’s angry. Maybe he’s relieved.
Honestly, I don’t care anymore. His disappearing act showed me exactly who he was, and his ridiculous demand proved what he thought of me.
Some people might think I’m being too harsh, cutting him out completely. But tell me, what would you do if someone you loved disappeared without a word, put you through days of panic and worry, only to demand a DNA test based on a photo resemblance? Would you take them back? Or would you do what I did and choose your own peace of mind?
All I know is that Grace and I are going to be just fine.
A woman sitting on the floor | Source Midjourney
Leave a Reply