The coroner says they are still working to positively identify a body that was found inside a car, linked to a missing person, fully submerged in Lake Michigan at the Waukegan Harbor last week.
The Waukegan Police Department and Waukegan Fire Department were notified around 1 p.m. last Tuesday about an object in the water in the area of Lafarge North America, 315 East Sea Horse Drive in Waukegan.
Waukegan Fire Department Battalion Chief Todd Zupec said the Waukegan Port District reported that they received information that an unknown large piece of metal was found in the harbor.
Fire department divers with sonar equipment responded and conducted operations.
They found a large object, appearing to be a vehicle, in approximately 17 feet of water in Lake Michigan, Zupec said.
Divers entered the water and confirmed that the object was a vehicle and a body was inside the car.
Lake County Coroner’s Office Chief Deputy Steve Newton said the discovery was first made by a company conducting a sonar scan of the Waukegan Harbor.
The company conducted the scan in July but just recently noticed the vehicle in its imagery, prompting the response.
Newton said the vehicle information matches a vehicle connected to an adult who was reported missing in April 2024.
The occupant found in the vehicle was in the driver’s seat and was seatbelted.
The coroner’s office responded to the scene after being notified around 4:20 p.m. last Tuesday and took possession of the subject.
An autopsy was performed on the victim, believed to be an adult male, on Wednesday and the results are pending further studies, Newton said.
He is believed to have been in the water with the vehicle for an “extended amount of time.”
A heavy-duty tow truck responded to the scene and removed the car by around 5:45 p.m., witnesses said.
The victim has not been positively identified yet and the process will likely take a while, Newton said.
The coroner’s office will be performing DNA analysis to confirm the identity of the subject.
The Waukegan Police Department has not released any information on the case.
“The Waukegan Fire Department would like to thank the Waukegan Police Department, the Waukegan Port District employees, the Lake County Coroner’s Office and Whitmore’s Towing for their assistance,” Zupec said.
“Each one played a key role in making this recovery and hopefully bringing closure for the family,” he added.