Tom Tolen / News@whmi.com


Beachgoers at Kensington Metropark near Milford formed a human chain yesterday evening in an effort to locate a missing child, but sadly, those efforts were not enough to save a 6-year-old girl.

The apparent drowning occurred at Martindale Beach on Kent Lake, a 1,200-acre reservoir-formed lake with a maximum depth of 36 feet.

It brought a tearful ending to what had been an enjoyable holiday weekend for people who were spending Memorial Day with family and friends at the popular Metropark, off I-96 in western Oakland and eastern Livingston counties.

The girl was first reported missing at about 5:30 p.m., and when she couldn’t be found in the beach area on land, people linked arms and formed a chain to comb the water. A dive team also performed an underwater search for the girl. After more than an hour, she was found lifeless in an area with heavy weeds off the sand.

The victim, who has not yet been identified by authorities, was carried out of the water onto the shore, where CPR was performed. After attempts to resuscitate her were unsuccessful, she was transported by ambulance to an area hospital, but could not be revived. A number of agencies, including Michigan State Police from the Brighton post, responded to the scene.

The incident is under investigation by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.