18-year-old Pickerington man drowns at KOA campground in southeast Michigan

A Pickerington man drowned Wednesday at a campground swimming pond near Petersburg in southeast Michigan, about 21 miles from the Ohio border.

Anthony Lavelle Shores Jr., 18, disappeared underwater around 5:50 p.m. at the KOA Holiday campground at 15600 Tunnicliff Road in Summerfield Township, Michigan, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office reported.

Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the scene while people at the location continued efforts to locate the victim.

Shores was recovered from the water shortly after 6 p.m. by people at the scene and staff from the campground, the sheriff's office said.

Personnel from the Summerfield Township Fire Department and Monroe Community Ambulance attempted lifesaving measures, but Shores was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office continues to investigate the drowning, the second in less than a year and the third in the past two years at the KOA Holiday campground's swimming pond. 15-year-old Jaylen Hill drowned at the swimming pond in July 2022. In 2021, a person nearly drowned and was hospitalized after being rescued.

Authorities say the murky water of a swimming pond can make it challenging to find someone who has disappeared underwater immediately, and rescuers trying to find someone can also stir up the water during the frantic search.

"We are saddened to hear of the tragic situation at the Monroe County/Toledo North KOA Holiday and wish to express our heartfelt condolences to the family," KOA spokesman Xenique McCleod said in a release Thursday. "This is a privately-owned campground, and out of respect for the (Shores) family, they are issuing no comment at this time."

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 18-year-old Pickerington man drowns at KOA campground in SE Michigan