The mother of a 6-year-old boy who drowned in Lake Michigan pleaded guilty Thursday to child neglect.
Iain Rowe drowned at Holland State Park on June 6, a day of high waves and warnings.
Miranda Rowe, 33, of Spring Lake Township pleaded guilty in Holland District Court.
“Our contention is that the inattentiveness was neglect,” Capt. Mark Bennett of the Ottawa County sheriff’s office told the Holland Sentinel.
“It’s not unheard of but it’s a little unusual to have a parent charged in the drowning death of a child. But in this case, the facts warrant some criminal charges,” Bennett said.
A date for Rowe’s sentence has not been set.
At least 36 people in four states have drowned in Lake Michigan this year, according to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project.
