A 16-year-old boy who drowned in Lake Michigan near the Waukegan Municipal Beach was rescued and later died at the hospital Sunday evening, fire officials said.
The Waukegan Fire Department and Waukegan Police Department responded around 6:25 p.m. Sunday to the Waukegan Municipal Beach, 200 East Sea Horse Drive in Waukegan, for a report of a person drowning call.
Waukegan Fire Department Battalion Chief Anthony Soler told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that two people were in the water.
One of the victims was identified as a 16-year-old Park City boy, Soler said.
The boy was in the water near a pier east of the beach where the red and white lighthouse is located.
The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was activated to bring numerous fire department divers and boats from across Lake County to the scene.
The 16-year-old was removed from the water before firefighters arrived. He was unconscious and not breathing, Soler said.
Paramedics began performing lifesaving measures on the boy. He was transported by ambulance to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
A 15-year-old boy was also removed from the water in the same area, Soler said. He was transported to a local hospital for precautionary measures.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office is in the process of scheduling an autopsy.