An 18-year-old man swimming in Lake Michigan near Illinois Beach State Park in Winthrop Harbor died after going under the water and not resurfacing.
Winthrop Harbor Fire Chief Justin Stried said that the fire department was called to a report of a swimmer under the water in Lake Michigan near Camp Logan at the Illinois Beach State Park at around 12:15 p.m. Wednesday.
A fire boat was launched into the water and located the victim a short time later near the North Unit entrance off of 17th Street. The victim was 5 to 10 feet under the water. Divers entered the water and retrieved the male victim.
“He was not breathing at the time of his rescue. CPR was quickly started and the patient was transported to the shore, where an ambulance crew was ready for the patient,” Winthrop Harbor Fire Chief Justin Stried said.
The 18-year-old was transported to Vista East Medical Center in Waukegan where he was pronounced dead. The Lake County Coroner’s Office was called to the hospital and an autopsy has been scheduled. The victim’s name is being withheld pending notification to family and relatives of the man.
Several people were around when the man went under the water. Authorities said that the man was swimming with a woman friend. The woman told officials that she heard the 18-year-old scream and when she turned around, he appeared to start swimming again and then went under the water.
Officials from the state park said that the water was calm Wednesday.
The Zion Fire Rescue Department and the Beach Park Fire Department assisted the Winthrop Harbor Fire Department at the scene.