CLEVELAND — A day of swimming with family turned tragic Saturday afternoon when Cleveland Metroparks Police were dispatched to Euclid Beach for the report of a “male juvenile drowning in the water.”
Divers from Cleveland Fire Rescue Squad 1 later recovered 11-year-old Anthony “Ace” Lenix Jr., who was taken to UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office said an autopsy was scheduled for Monday, and official results should be released Tuesday.
Ace’s parents, Tyra and Anthony Lenix said he was a twin, one of their five children- excited about the upcoming school year at Breakthrough Academy in Cleveland’s Glenville Neighborhood.
“Sports enthusiast. A straight “A” student. Played the violin (and) recorder,” Tyra said. “He wanted to get into the drums for the sixth grade band."
His parents said he was also excited to try out for the school’s basketball team.
Saturday afternoon, Tyra said she and her children were enjoying the warm weather by cooling off with a swim at Euclid Beach.
“Ace had just celebrated being able to actually swim out to the rocks. He climbed up there. He took a picture,” Tyra said.
She said Ace and his siblings were playing with other kids in the sand on the beach, and he went back into the lake. She said one of the girls the family had met followed him into the water and was having trouble keeping up.
"I heard he went back into the water to save the little girl in the pink swimsuit,” Tyra said. “Some people helped her out of the water, but no one was able to get back to my son. I tried. I couldn’t get out there. Another lady swam out there, and then another onlooker gave a man like a little raft to try and float out there, and he didn’t see him. And he stood out there until the fire rescue got there."
Ace’s father said he rushed to the scene after learning his son went under. He said life will never be the same.
“My son will forever go out as a hero,” Anthony said. “The last thing that me and him did alone was playing a game like he wanted to. We played NBA… the new 2K25, and he beat me. There was times when I beat him (but) more times when he’d beat me in games."
Tyra said her son was energetic and caring.
“Like my husband said we were just talking about him starting to grow a mustache,” she said through tears. “That’s what I want to remember."
Cleveland MetroParks told News 5 they encourage all beachgoers to pay attention to water conditions and to swim in designated areas during lifeguarded hours. Safety information is posted at beaches and can be found online.
Cleveland Metroparks said the victim was in an undesignated swim area, near breakwalls, not patrolled by lifeguards.
The investigation continues. Officials said at this time, the girl who was rescued from the water and those who helped her haven’t been identified.
The Lenix family returned to Euclid Beach for quiet time amid tremendous grief on Monday.
“My wife and I we wanted to come out here to take everything in some more because it’s going to be hard for the longest time,” Anthony said.
Soon, the family said they plan to have a balloon release to honor their son. News 5 will provide those details when they’re released.
