‘She was a warrior’: 14-year-old drowns while rescuing her younger cousin during graduation party

DETROIT (WXYZ) — A graduation celebration turned into tragedy in Detroit over the weekend when a 14-year-old girl drowned in a river while trying to save her younger cousin.

Glenn Bradley lost his 14-year-old daughter, Amina Bradley, on Saturday when she drowned in the Detroit River.

Bradley said his family was at a graduation party at Maharris Gentry Park when Amina and her 9-year-old cousin went by the water.

Bradley said the younger cousin fell in the water, and Amina went in to save her.

Bradley said his daughter loved to swim and frequently visited the pool, but this was a different situation than she was used to.

“In that type of setting, the current, it pulls you out,” he said.

Bystanders were able to get the 9-year-old cousin out of the water.

Bradley said he went into the water to help his daughter but could not save her.

“Her last words were, ‘Dad, help me,’” he said. “She looked at me, and when I went out there, she disappeared. She went under and never came back up. Somebody had to save me, because I was drowning.”

Bradley said Amina’s death has been very hard on her siblings and the rest of the family.

“My daughter was my baby girl. She was my everything. You know, so right now I’m numb, but the people that you love, you got to cherish them. You got to make sure, because we never know,” he said.

Amina is remembered for loving her family and wanting to be a scientist when she grew up.

“At the end of the day, my daughter, she was a warrior. She had a beautiful heart,” Bradley said.