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Family of man who drowned in Richmond Park Pool seeking more answers

Posted at 11:24 AM, Aug 23, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-23 17:09:59-04

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The family of a man who drowned Tuesday morning in the Richmond Park Poolis saying that their son was a good swimmer and details of his death aren't adding up.

The family of Damon Phillips tells FOX 17 that he was a good swimmer.  Phillips and two others apparently jumped the fence into the pool area early Tuesday morning.  Phillips ended up in the pool and the two others went knocking on neighborhood doors for help.  Emergency crews pulled Phillips from the pool, but he was pronounced dead a short time later at the hospital.

“My heart hurts right now, I’m devastated," said Terrie Phillips, Damon's mother through tears. “I wouldn’t wish this on no mother.”

Two men police said were accompanying Phillips that morning were questioned and released. There are no cameras at Richmond Park, according to the Grand Rapids Parks Department.

Grand Rapids Police say they aren't specifically investigating the drowning as anything but an accident for now, but add that anything is possible and they are investigating the case from every possible angle.  Autopsy results are still pending.

Phillips' family tells FOX 17 that he was attending Grand Rapids Community College and studying video game design.

“We send our kids to school not wanting something like this to happen - this could happen to any mother out here in Michigan," said Terrie Phillips. “Something happened to my baby… something happened to my child.”

Police haven't explicitly ruled out foul play in the death, but also have not confirmed it.

We'll have more details when they become available.