A 15-year-old girl died in hospital after she was rescued unconscious from Lake Michigan near Zion on Friday evening.
The Beach Park Fire Department responded to a report of a water rescue at Illinois Beach State Park, 1 Lake Front Drive in the unincorporated neighborhood of Zion, around 5:45 p.m. Friday.
Lt. Hopkins of the Beach Park Fire Department said firefighters and paramedics arrived and spoke with several witnesses to determine the victim’s last sighting.
A 15-year-old swimmer has been confirmed to still be underwater in Lake Michigan.
Members of the Beach Park and Winthrop Harbor fire departments entered the water to conduct a surface scan at the last seen location, Hopkins said.
The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was activated to the box alarm level to summon additional fire services for assistance. In addition, several rescue boats were called.
Hopkins said the 15-year-old girl was found by rescue divers and swimmers and rescued from the water.
The teenager was taken by ambulance to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan.
Hopkins said the victim was unresponsive but regained his pulse during transport to Vista, Hopkins said.
She was later transferred to the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.
The Cook County Coroner’s Office reported that the girl died in the hospital Saturday morning.
The girl’s identity has not yet been released. An autopsy is pending.
