A heartbroken Chicago mother is warning other parents about the dangers of Lake Michigan after her young son drowned in a strong current.
Onyx Cruz, 7, loved cars, wanted to be an engineer and was “the life of the party,” her mother told NBC Chicago.
“He would get A’s… The kind of kid who had fun doing math and reading,” said his mother, Natacha Cruz. “He liked to practice chivalry and let you know that’s what he did. He liked to push the shopping cart for me and hold my groceries, and if I didn’t let him open the door for me, it was trouble.”
Onyx went to Lake Michigan in Portage, Indiana, with her paternal grandparents Thursday, where she spent some time playing in the water. According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the boy was waist-deep in water when he ventured beyond and was caught in the strong current.
The boy’s grandfather tried to rescue him, but was unable to and immediately called 911 as soon as his grandson was out of sight.
About 20 minutes later they found it.
“By the time they pulled him out of the water, it was too late,” his mother said.
Speaking to NBC Chicago, Natacha Cruz described her son, who was in first grade, as a charismatic kid who moved everyone at school.
“I was seven years with him,” he said. “I just think about what would have been seven more. I don’t get to see my son walk across the stage.”
As Cruz mourns the loss of her son, she warns other parents so they don’t have to experience the heartbreak she feels.
“If it’s cold, don’t wear them,” he says, referring to the dangers of swimming. “If the waves are high, don’t take them. If there’s no one else on the beach, you shouldn’t be there.”
A National Weather Service beach hazard statement was in effect at the time of Onyx’s drowning. With warmer temperatures returning this Father’s Day weekend, experts recommend being especially cautious around any type of water this weekend.
