Investigators say two women left six children alone for about 35 minutes before the girl was found unresponsive.
INDEPENDENCE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Oakland County prosecutors are reviewing a drowning case after a 4-year-old girl died Friday night at the Deer Lake Athletic Club pool, where authorities say six children were left to swim without adult supervision while two women went to a restaurant and bar area inside the facility.
Officials said detectives have nearly finished their investigation and forwarded findings for charging review, bringing quick scrutiny to how the children came to be alone in the water and what the adults were doing at the time. The case has drawn attention because it unfolded inside a private club with staff on site and because the victim’s older sister ultimately pulled the 4-year-old from the pool. The club said employees followed internal protocols and cooperated with authorities. The prosecutor’s office will decide whether criminal charges are warranted in the coming days.
Deputies and paramedics were called around 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 30 after the child, from Sterling Heights, was found unresponsive in the indoor pool. According to investigators, she had arrived with five other children, ages 6 to 12, and two women who brought the group to swim. After placing flotation items like pool noodles in the water, the women left the deck and walked to the club’s bar and restaurant area, investigators said. For about 35 minutes, no adult watched the children. The girl’s sister later pulled her from the water, and club patrons and staff began CPR until first responders arrived. She was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. Sheriff Michael Bouchard called the death avoidable and said the timeline will be a key part of the case.
Detectives gathered surveillance video from the facility, interviewed staff and witnesses, and collected sign-in and time-stamp records to confirm who was in the pool area and when. Officials said the six children were the only ones in the water during much of the time the adults were gone. The women were located inside the club when deputies arrived, investigators said. The athletic club stated in a brief message that employees initiated emergency procedures, including calling 911 and performing CPR alongside patrons, and that it is cooperating fully. Authorities have not publicly identified the child or the two women. Whether lifeguards were on active duty at that hour remained unclear; investigators have not released staffing rosters or certifications from that shift.
The club sits along White Lake Road near Clarkston and typically hosts tennis, fitness and swim programs for members. Drownings at supervised indoor pools are uncommon in Oakland County; the sheriff’s office said the case stands out because all six children — including a preschooler — were in the water without an adult for a prolonged period. In past years, county officials have pushed private clubs to post rules requiring an adult on deck for minors, but enforcement varies by facility. The victim’s family is from neighboring Macomb County, about 30 miles southeast. The investigation has so far focused on the actions and responsibilities of the two women who brought the children to the club and then left them unattended.
Prosecutors will review potential counts related to child abuse or neglect and could seek lesser misdemeanor charges depending on evidence of supervision and timing. No arrests had been announced as of Wednesday morning. Detectives expect to submit a full report, including video logs and witness statements, to the prosecutor’s office by midweek. Any charging announcements would likely follow after that review. The medical examiner’s office is preparing a final report that will include the cause and manner of death; preliminary findings indicate drowning. Officials said they plan to release the child’s name after the family’s notifications and once the office completes its documentation.
Inside the club Tuesday evening, flowers and a small stuffed animal sat near the pool windows. A member who declined to give her full name said she saw patrons rush to the deck as alarms sounded and staff moved people back to make room for responders. “It was quiet except for the sirens and someone counting compressions,” she said. Another member said he often sees children using pool noodles during family swim but had never seen a group without an adult seated close by. In a brief comment, Bouchard said, “We’ll present a thorough case for review. What happened here should not have happened.”
As of Wednesday, the case remained under prosecutorial review, with any decisions on charges expected after detectives file their final supplemental report. The next formal update is anticipated later this week once the prosecutor outlines whether the evidence supports criminal counts.
Author note: Last updated February 4, 2026.