Teen dies after being pulled from Lake Michigan in Waukegan

A teen who went underwater while trying to swim across a channel in Lake Michigan near Waukegan Municipal Beach last week has died, officials said Sunday.

The boy was one of four people swimming Friday evening between two piers in the commercial harbor channel, where swimming isn't allowed, according to a news release from the Waukegan Fire Department. Witnesses who called 911 said the boy had been struggling before he went under just after 6 p.m. near the Stiner Music Pavilion and the main pier at the beach.

Divers spent about 30 minutes searching the water with limited visibility before finding the boy and performing lifesaving efforts, officials said. A boat transported the boy to shore, at which point he was taken to Vista East Medical Center in "extremely critical condition."

The boy, whose identity has not been released, died later that night, Lake County Coroner Howard Cooper said Sunday. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday.

Two of the other people swimming with the boy were still on the pavilion side when rescue crews arrived, Waukegan officials said. A third swimmer swam across the channel and was assisted by bystanders.