Boy, 11, who drowned in Lake Erie was ‘always smiling,’ family says

EUCLID , Ohio (WJW) — The family of an 11-year-old boy who was pulled from Lake Erie is speaking out.

“He’s just a bubbly, all-around great kid,” said his mother Tyra Lenix.

The pain is palpable for the family of 11-year-old Anthony Lenix Jr., of Cleveland .

“He was a good big brother, good little brother, great student — straight As,” said Tyra.

His parents called him Ace.

Ace was a twin, one of five children, and was heading into sixth grade at the Breakthrough Academy.

“He was always smiling, no matter what happened. The fact that he has so much courage, so much strength,” said his father, Anthony Lenix Sr.

Tyra said she took all five kids to Euclid Beach on Saturday afternoon. She said at one point, Ace swam out to an unsupervised area near the breakwall. That’s when his family noticed he went under.

“I swam out as far as I could but I couldn’t beat the current,” said Tyra.

Cleveland Metroparks police and fire rescue squads were called to the beach and recovered Ace, who was later pronounced dead at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital.

“I had to choose between going under and having my four kids watch their mother drown or waiting for help. I live every day feeling I made the wrong choice. It should have been me out there instead of him,” said Tyra.

According to the Metroparks, the little boy was swimming in an undesignated area that is not supervised by lifeguards. The Metroparks said the incident is still under investigation.

The family has set up a GoFundMe to help with Ace’s funeral costs.

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