From Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett
Yesterday marked an incredibly sad day for our City. Last evening I received word of a drowning at Carter Lake at Spencer Park. As we await final details regarding this situation from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, our prayers and condolences go out to the immediate family and friends of the deceased.
I met with park leadership and employees last evening. Based on my understanding of the situation, I’m extremely proud of the way in which our team responded. Importantly, we have arranged for counselors to be available for staff as needed in the days ahead.
Prior to yesterday, we had gone 34 years without a drowning at Carter Lake, a feat very few beaches with our attendance numbers can claim. This is testimony to outstanding park management, lifeguard and support staff and training.
My personal thanks go out to the Oakland County Sheriffs Office, the City’s EMS team, our park leadership and staff, our HR team and those who will be assisting us as we all work through this situation together. And, again, on behalf of our entire community, we offer prayers to those who lost a loved one and support and care to our first responders.
