CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - One person is dead, and six others are hurt after a boating accident on Lake Michigan early Friday.
The Chicago Fire Department rescue teams responded to a boat in distress on the lakefront near Olive Park, that’s in the area called the Playpen.
Fire Department Deputy District Chief Jason Lach said it was rough work for rescue crews.
“About 3 a.m. this morning, we had a huge increase in wind and wave activity. We went from a 1 to a 3-knot wind, up to gusts over 30 mph. We went from wave heights…6 inches to a foot up to 3 to 4 inches off the National Weather buoy, at the same time it was going on,” Lach noted.
Police said seven people were returning to shore when the boat hit a breakwall and capsized.
One person became trapped under the boat and did not survive, officials said. Six others were rescued, including one person who swam to shore.
One of the six was in serious condition at Northwestern Memorial Hospital while the others were in fair to serious condition, Chicago Fire Department Chief Juan Hernandez said. Four of the victims were taken to Northwestern and two others were taken to Stroger Hospital. All were between the ages of 20-30.
Police marine unit divers initially were not able to recover the woman’s body because of dangerous conditions, including high waves, a marine officer said. Divers spotted her “pinned” under the 31-foot craft, about 200 yards “due northeast of the Jardine Water Plant,” the marine officer said.
While crews were responding to incident, the badly decomposed body of a man was spotted near Navy Pier.
Chicago Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
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