19-year-old West Bloomfield man drowns in Pine Lake, sheriff says

A 19-year-old West Bloomfield Township man drowned in Pine Lake after experiencing difficulty while swimming Sunday night, the Oakland County Sheriff's Office said. 

The sheriff's office responded to Pine Lake after a caller said a swimmer, identified as Jauwan Walter Hayes Jr., had gone underwater near the 3800 block of Norman Wood Drive around 6:30 p.m. Sunday and had not resurfaced. 

Hayes had been at the beach with his family and was swimming in a designated swimming area between two floating platforms when authorities say witnesses saw him beginning to struggle at the surface before going underwater and not resurfacing. 

Bystanders located Hayes in the water and brought him to shore, where West Bloomfield Fire Department paramedics performed lifesaving measures before taking Hayes to a local hospital. Hayes was pronounced dead at the hospital later Sunday night, authorities said. 

The Oakland County Medical Examiner ruled Hayes' death an accidental drowning. 

The sheriff says Hayes was not wearing a personal flotation device at the time of the incident and that alcohol does not appear to be a factor.