The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

A 16-YEAR-OLD Bahamian-American boy described as a strong, active swimmer drowned in a Michigan lake last week, leaving his family struggling to understand how a teenager so comfortable in the water got into trouble.

Kaden Dean Smith disappeared beneath the water while swimming during a family gathering at Gun Lake in Orangeville Township on August 12.

His body was recovered two days later.

His father, Grand Bahama resident Audley Dean, said he has still not received a clear account of what happened and was particularly shaken because of his son’s swimming ability.

“I wasn't there,” Mr Dean said. “His mother was very distraught at the time. So she didn't give me a clear story of what happened.”

He said Kaden had been swimming with friends during the gathering when something went wrong as he was making his way back.

“They tried to get to him in time,” he said.

Michigan State Police in Barry County reported that crews recovered the body of the missing teenage swimmer from Gun Lake on Friday, August 14. Initial reports said the teenager was last seen swimming on Wednesday night.

For Mr Dean, the circumstances are difficult to reconcile with the teenager he knew.

Kaden loved the water and was an experienced swimmer, his father said. He was also familiar with the lake, where Mr Dean said they usually swam.

Kaden was born in the United States to an American mother and Bahamian father, but Mr Dean said his son was Bahamian and maintained a connection with him and Grand Bahama.

That connection had deepened during a visit last July, when Kaden spent the summer with his father on the island.

“It was awesome,” Mr Dean said as he showed photographs of them together.

He had hoped the trip would become a tradition, with his youngest son returning to Grand Bahama every year or every other year.

Much of their time together revolved around the water.

Mr Dean, who previously worked in the dive industry, said the two went to the beach during Kaden’s visit and that he had no concerns about his son's abilities.

“He loved the water,” Mr Dean said. “He loved the ocean and swimming. He was very active in the water.”

Mr Dean said his own experience around the sea made him confident about Kaden's swimming skills.

“He was very active in the water and a very good swimmer,” he said. “I myself used to work in the dive industry, so I was very satisfied with his water skills.”

That confidence has made the teenager's death all the more difficult for his father to comprehend.

“It's just one of those freaky things,” Mr Dean said. “The ocean and water in general just don't respect anybody, I can tell you that.”

He said he had seen how quickly people could get into difficulty in the water despite appearances.

“I mean, I've watched people drown in shallow water,” Mr Dean said. “It's tough.”