BEACH PARK, Ill. (WLS) — A diving team resumed their search on Wednesday morning in Lake Michigan to find a teenager who went missing in the northern suburbs.
The boy fell in the water Tuesday afternoon at Illinois Beach State Park.
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The Beach Park Fire Department is searching south of the state park Wednesday.
They have pinpointed areas where they believe the 14-year-old boy could be.
After searching for multiple hours Tuesday, this is now a recovery operation.
Wednesday morning, crews launched boats from Winthrop Harbor, and plan on using sonar technology in the hopes of finding the boy.
Fire officials say they got a call around 4 p.m. Tuesday, for someone in the water in need of help at Illinois Beach State Park.
Witnesses reported seeing the boy either sitting or standing along the rocks, when he was hit by a wave and knocked into Lake Michigan.
Those who were in the area when it happened, say the family was visiting from Wisconsin, and the father was swimming at the time.
Several neighboring agencies were called to help, and search for the missing boy.
“We have a few spots we believe he might have drifted to,” stated Beach Park Fire Chief Tom Stahl. “We’ll examine those locations, including some underwater areas where we think he could still be. Boats will mark these spots, and divers will then investigate them thoroughly.”
Stahl said one of the challenges crews and swimmers are faced with is that Lake Michigan can be unpredictable.
The waves and wind can cause dangerous conditions, and people should use extra caution.
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