3 of four boaters die after craft hits breakwater

The Cook County Medical Examiner is reporting that three of four boaters rescued from Lake Michigan after their sailboat ran into a breakwater last night have died.

Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford says the boat broke apart when it struck the breakwater off Chicago's South Side (95th Street).

A Fire Department boat, rescue divers and a Coast Guard helicopter were all dispatched to pull the victims from the 58-degree water.

Initially, three of the men were reported to be in critical condition at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. The fourth was in stable condition at Advocate Trinity Hospital.

Authorities say the 20-foot sailboat with the four men, all in their 20s and 30s, appeared to be headed to a boat yard when it hit the breakwater around 8:15 p.m.