Lillian May, A former Spooner Area School District student, died after drowning in the Great Miami River at Treasure Island Park in Troy, Ohio, on July 18th, according to Troy Police Captain Joe Long.
“The call came in around 10:00 PM on Thursday night of a possible drowning,” Captain Long said in a phone call with DrydenWire.com earlier today. “We believe Lilly went under the water at approximately 8 PM.”
Treasure Island Park is along a riverfront and is a small island inset from the river and shore
Captain Long said that witness reports state that around 8:00 PM Lilly told her friends after she jumped into the water that she was going to “do some things.”
“Her friends thought she was just playing with them when she did not resurface that she had swum to another location,” said Long. “Her friends also went to her grandfather's residence, where she was living at the time, but the grandfather stated to them that she had not returned home. That is when we got the call.”
Captain Long said that Lilly was found a short time later after Police and Fire searched the area just a very short distance away from the island. Officers found Lilly under a dock under 6 feet of water and pulled her out. CPR was administered and she was transported to the hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
A preliminary autopsy report from the Miami County Coroner's Office confirmed today that the cause of death was drowning. Captain Long confirmed that the circumstances of Lilly's death were not found to be suspicious.
“It's just very sad for all those involved,” Long added.
Lilly attended Spooner Area School District from August of 2013 until October of 2015; her 4th through 6th-grade years.
When reached for comment, Spooner Middle School Principal Brad Larrabee provided the following statement via email:
Lilly was a great student. She was one of those kids who always had a smile on her face and brightened the lives of all students and teachers around her. The staff and greater community of the Spooner Area School District send prayers to the May family. An email was sent to the Spooner Middle School's 8th-grade families today to make them aware of services available to students and family members touched by this tragic event. Families are urged to contact the Spooner Middle School for support.
Spooner Area School District Superintendent Dr. David Aslyn stated in a phone conversation with DrydenWire.com earlier this evening that his heart goes out to everyone involved.
“We were sad to learn of Lilly’s passing," Dr. Aslyn said. "Lilly's family and friends are in our thoughts during this difficult time as well as with families that may struggle with this in the coming days here in Spooner. We are here to support them and would encourage them to reach out to the Spooner Area Middle School office. We are here for any and all students and family during this very difficult time.”
Lilly's mother still resides in the Spooner area.
Spooner Area School District Office: 715-635-2171
Last Update: Jul 21, 2017 8:49 am CDT
