The coroner has identified a 26-year-old man who was found dead hours after he went swimming with friends in Lake Michigan at the Illinois Beach State Park near Zion and never resurfaced.
An autopsy performed Monday showed Akshith Reddy Bhandra, 26, of New York, died as a result of drowning, according to Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek.
The Beach Park Fire Department, Zion Fire Department and Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 8:10 p.m. Saturday to the Illinois Beach State Park, 1 Lake Front Drive in unincorporated Zion, for a report of a water rescue.
Beach Park Fire Department Lt. Pablo Ramirez said firefighters and paramedics arrived and began working to determine a last-seen point for the 26-year-old man in distress.
Divers from the Beach Park and Zion fire departments entered the water and commenced a surface scan at the last seen point, Ramirez said.
The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was activated to the box alarm level, bringing fire departments from throughout Lake and McHenry counties to the scene with sonar, divers and boats.
Reddy Bhandra was located and removed by rescue divers around 10 p.m.
Reddy Bhandra was transported by ambulance to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan where he was pronounced dead, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli.
Covelli said the sheriff’s office also assisted in the search and had launched their Lake Michigan boat when they received the call.
“We searched the water for two hours with local fire agencies and Illinois Conservation Police,” Covelli said.
Covelli said Reddy Bhandra was approximately 30 feet from the shore when he was located just after 10 p.m.
A preliminary investigation shows the man, along with his two friends — another 26-year-old man and a 28-year-old man — were swimming from the shore to a rock wall.
Reddy Bhandra was unable to make it to the wall, went under the water and never made it back to shore.
Buffalo Grove resident Raghavendhar Reddy said Reddy Bhandra had come to the United States to pursue his master’s degree. He was a graduate of Valparaiso University in Indiana.
Reddy Bhandra was residing in the United States through a temporary employment authorization program.
“His dedication extended beyond academics; he was a sportsman who participated in district-level karate competitions, always driven to achieve more,” Reddy said.
“This devastating loss has left his family in tears, grappling with the sudden absence of their beloved son and brother,” Reddy added.
A GoFundMe account was created to help the family cover expenses for sending Reddy Bhandra’s body back to India and for his burial.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources Police are handling the investigation into the incident.