Overview
- The teenager, rescued Monday near the Waukegan Harbor Channel, was pronounced dead after being taken to Vista East Medical Center.
- Waukegan Fire Department crews responded around 5:30 p.m. to a reported drowning and deployed divers who found the boy near the bottom along the break wall.
- First responders pulled him from the water within minutes and began lifesaving efforts before rushing him to the hospital.
- Friends told firefighters they had been swimming in the channel and called for help when he did not resurface.
- After the incident, officials reminded residents to stay out of non-designated areas, noting that channels and break walls on Lake Michigan can produce dangerous currents and sudden depth changes.