Questions linger after 6-year-old boy drowns at Liberty Lake Day Camp in NJ
MANSFIELD TWP., New Jersey (WPVI) -- Shallow pool activities at the Liberty Lake Day Camp in Mansfield Township, New Jersey, were shut down Tuesday in honor of 6-year-old Michael Stewart, who drowned earlier this week.
Action News spoke with Doug Forbes who knows the dangers of youth camps. His daughter drowned at a California camp in 2019.
"Roxy was the love of my life. I told her one million and one times how much I loved her," Forbes told reporter Chad Pradelli.
Forbes has since established the Meow Meow Foundation, which aims to make camps and aquatics safer.
READ MORE: 6-year-old boy who drowned in pool at Liberty Lake Day Camp in New Jersey identified
"Unfortunately, rules, regulations and protocols, standards and practices are lean at best," added Forbes.
The New Jersey Department of Health regulates youth camp licensing and safety.
A spokesperson declined to comment and referred Action News to its website for safety guidelines with youth camps and pools.
According to state safety standards, a lifeguard supervisor and lifeguard shall attend and supervise non-instructional swimming when there are 30 or fewer campers in the water. An additional lifeguard is needed for each additional 30 swimmers.
It's unclear how many swimmers were in the water at the time of Stewart's death. But the camp owner, Andy Pritikin, told parents during a Zoom meeting Tuesday night the camp met state standards.
"We exceed the lifeguard ratios and standards of the New Jersey Board of Health, of the American Camp Association. We've always tried to exceed everything. We try to make Liberty Lake as safe as possible in every aspect," Pritikin told parents of camp attendees.
Forbes calls NJ Youth Camp Safety Standards some of the strongest in the country, but says there's no excuse for any drowning.
The camp owner says all lifeguards who were on duty at the time of the tragedy were experienced.
Stewart, who had special needs, even had an advocate assigned to him for supervision.
"These learning swimmers, these six-year-olds, and especially children with special needs, number one, they need to be within arm's reach of an adult at all times," added Forbes.
Stewart's family had no comment Wednesday on the advice of their attorneys.
A spokesperson for Liberty Lake did not respond to requests for comment.
