New fencing is being put up to close off Windsor's Sandpoint Beach to swimmers.
Work crews are hammering in fence posts along the beach and will be putting up a chain-link fence Tuesday afternoon after the city council voted June 9 to close the beach to swimmers and eliminate public access to the water.
Council made the move as the city awaits the results of a coroner's investigation into the death of a 15-year-old boy who drowned in the water off the beach on May 19, 2025.
It was the latest drowning in an area at the western edge of the beach, which features a steep drop-off and strong currents in the water where the Detroit River meets Lake St. Clair.
In May 2024, two men-aged 25 and 22-also drowned in the same area off Sandpoint.
Ward 7 Councillor Angelo Marignani says they're giving up some quality of life closing the beach.
"We gave up a lot, but there is a risk involved, and that risk is that this area of the beach, this section right here, is dangerous," says Marignani. "This should never have been Sandpoint Beach. It should have always been at the eastern end.
He says the park is still open.
"This is a beautiful park; it's a well-used park," he says. "They can still use the park, but it's a bit aesthetically disappointing to see what we're seeing here now."
Pam Morley Cooke was at the beach Tuesday morning and says it's sad to see the fence going up, but the city must do something to keep people safe.
"They could have moved the beach over there years ago," says Morley Cooke. "I've been in this area for five years, and they haven't done anything."
Additional signage will also be installed to remind visitors that the water is dangerous, but the sand area around the playground and the parkland will remain open and accessible for families to enjoy.
As part of the June 9 closure decision, council also directed city administration to review the Sandpoint Beach Master Plan, which calls for the relocation of the beach to the eastern end to avoid the drop-off and strong currents, to determine whether the planned work to relocate the beach, modify the existing shoreline, and upgrade amenities will be able to effectively eliminate the risks posed to swimmers.
Fence posts are being installed at Sandpoint Beach in Windsor. The city closed the beach earlier this month. The park portion of the beach will remain open but access to the water is being blocked off. #cklw @AM800CKLW pic.twitter.com/VUkysFMMii
— Rob Hindi (@rhindi800) June 17, 2025