A nearby camper heard the pair yelling and was able to save the boy but couldn't rescue 42-year-old Christopher Malone
Credit: Dembinsky Photo Associates/Alamy
NEED TO KNOW
- A 42-year-old father drowned while attempting to swim 500 feet across a Michigan lake with his 8-year-old son
- A nearby camper rescued the boy but was unable to save Christopher Malone
- First responders and volunteers pulled Malone from the water but he was pronounced dead at the hospital
A "devoted" husband and father drowned while swimming with his 8-year-old son in a Michigan lake, police have confirmed.
Officers from the Shiawassee County Sheriff's Office were called to Campgrounds-R-Us in Owosso Township at about 5:15 p.m. local time on Thursday, July 2, The Argus-Press reported.
Nearby campers heard Christopher Malone, 42, and his son yelling for help, according to NBC affiliate WILX 10.
A man camping on the west side of the lake "observed them struggling and jumped into the water and attempted to save both," Shiawassee County Det. Lt. Keith Hansen told The Argus-Press.
The man was able to save the boy but was unable to rescue Malone, the outlet reported.
Credit: Dembinsky Photo Associates/Alamy
A preliminary investigation found that the pair had attempted to swim from the beach, at the east side of the man-made lake, to the other side — a total distance of 500 feet, per The Argus-Press.
First responders and volunteers searched for Malone, and he was pulled back to shore by a rope, along with a flotilla including a small boat, a kayak, and about eight searchers, at about 6:20 p.m. as noted by the outlet.
Among those joining the Shiawassee County Sheriff's Office at the scene were the Owosso Police Department, Owosso Ambulance, and Michigan State Police.
Responders provided medical attention to the father, who was found about 50 feet from the shore on the west side of the lake, for about 20 minutes, per The Argus-Press.
He was then taken to the nearby Memorial Healthcare hospital via ambulance, where he was pronounced dead, the outlet reported.
Officers told WILX 10 that the pair did not use any life preservers, adding that Malone allegedly left the safe swim section of the lake. They added that they did not believe drugs or alcohol were involved in the incident.
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Loved ones set up a fundraiser on SupportNow to help Malone's wife, Tabatha, and their children with funeral expenses.
"He was a devoted husband and father who had completely turned his life around over the past few years," loved ones wrote on the fundraiser.
"He was kind, caring, and always willing to help others. His wife and children were the center of his world."
PEOPLE reached out to the Shiawassee County Sheriff's Office and Campgrounds-R-Us but did not immediately hear back.
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