The 14-year-old boy who was rescued from Lake Michigan near the Waukegan Harbor by fire department divers Friday evening has died.
The Waukegan Fire Department was called around 6 p.m. Friday for a report of a person who went under the water at the Waukegan Harbor and Marina near Madison Street and Harbor Place.
Witnesses reported that the 14-year-old boy went under the water as he was trying to swim by a breakwall at the pier, Waukegan Fire Marshal Steve Lenzi said.
The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was utilized and brought in fire department divers, boats and sonar tech from throughout the Lake County area to assist with the search.
Lenzi said that the boy was with three other teens in the water at the time. The 14-year-old had not resurfaced and was found 30 minutes later by fire department divers.
He was transported by ambulance to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan in “extremely critical condition,” Lenzi said. The boy, who has not yet been publicly identified, later died, the Lake County Coroner’s Office said.
An autopsy has been scheduled for Monday.