Clinton Township Man Drowned Trying to Save Boy Identified

CLINTON TOWNSHIP, MI — A 24-year-old Clinton Township man who drowned Sunday evening trying to save a little boy who fell into the Clinton River has been identified. Joshua Traylor died trying to save his girlfriend’s three-year-old, according to Macomb County authorities.

Traylor, the boy and his mother were walking along the river behind the Macomb Family YMCA at about 4:50 p.m. Sunday when the three year old slipped in while trying to feed ducks, according to officials. Traylor, who couldn’t swim, immediately dove in after the boy and soon began to struggle in the water, the Detroit Free Press reported.

Another family who was fishing nearby heard the commotion and an unnamed 36-year-old Clinton Township man jumped into the water to help, the newspaper reported. He was able to get the boy back up on the boardwalk to safety. After the child was rescued, the boy's mother jumped into the water to help in the search for Traylor, who could not be found, the Free Press reported.

“It’s very sad,” Macomb County Sheriff’s Capt. John Roberts told the Macomb Daily on Sunday. “The river’s current is pretty fast and if you’re not sure of what you’re doing, you can get caught up in it very quickly.”

The water is 10-15 feet deep in that area, according to the Mount Clemens Fire Department. The boardwalk is a popular spot for fishermen and with warmer temperatures moving into the region Sunday, a number had gathered in the area, the Macomb Daily reported. “One of the people fishing down there saw what happened and immediately jumped in and grabbed the little boy,” Roberts told the newspaper. “He was unable to locate (the victim).”

The boy was rushed to a truck where he was warmed before being transported to the hospital for an overall evaluation, Mount Clemens fire Lt. Nick Candela said. Traylor was found just after 6 p.m. and taken to McLaren Macomb Hospital, but he could not be revived, the Free Press reported.

The Macomb County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, the Shelby Township Fire Department’s Dive Team, and firefighters from Harrison Township and Mount Clemens responded to the incident.

Photo by Luis Deliz via Flickr Commons