Teenage paddleboarder rescued from Lake Michigan – NBC Chicago

Two suburban teenagers were rescued from Lake Michigan Wednesday afternoon after their paddleboards were swept away from shore by gusty winds and strong currents.

According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, marine unit officers were on patrol near the shore of Lake Bluff when they noticed two 16-year-olds floating more than a mile from shore.

The teenagers, one from Lake Bluff and one from Wauconda, were both on a paddleboard and were pushed further and further out onto the lake by wind and currents, according to authorities.

None of the teenagers were wearing life jackets and did not have cell phones or other emergency communication devices, police said.

Both teenagers were rescued by the marine unit and brought to shore unharmed.

The successful rescue came amid a growing number of tragic incidents on the lake. A boater disappeared in Chicago’s Playpen over the weekend, while a woman died when her sailboat capsized on the lake off the coast of Winnetka.

A 16-year-old died when his raft capsized on the lake, while two others were rescued after venturing into a no-swimming area near Chicago’s Montrose Beach.