‘Kind-hearted’ 14-year-old drowns weeks before starting high school, MI cops say

An artistic 14-year-old boy known for his thoughtful nature drowned just weeks before starting high school, Michigan officials say.

The victim, identified by Alanson Public Schools as Jackson McCardle, was swimming at Sturgeon Bay Beach in Bliss Township on Aug. 3 when he and another teenage boy were seen “struggling to stay afloat,” according to the Emmet County Sheriff’s Office.

A bystander “courageously rescued” one of the boys, but Jackson “went underwater and did not resurface,” deputies said. His body was later found by the Emmet County Dive Team.

The area where the boy drowned, Emmet County Sheriff Matt Leirstein told WPBN, is known to be dangerous for swimmers because the water’s currents often change easily.

Jackson was set to enter 9th grade at Alanson Public Schools, the school said in an Aug. 4 statement on Facebook.

“Jackson was the kid who lit up the room when he walked in, kind hearted, full of energy and always ready with a smile or helping hand,” the school said. “Jackson was incredibly creative, his artwork was way beyond his years in detail and design.”

He would have started high school on Sept. 2.

“He was a thoughtful young man who expressed himself with originality and precision,” according to the school, which said “he made a difference just by being himself.”

Bliss Township is about a 210-mile drive northeast from Grand Rapids.

This story was originally published August 6, 2025 at 3:38 PM with the headline "‘Kind-hearted’ 14-year-old drowns weeks before starting high school, MI cops say."