FOX LAKE, Ill. () — What began as a day of fun on the water ended in tragedy Monday on Pistakee Lake in the north suburbs.
The body of a 15-year-old boy has been pulled from the lake, as investigators work to determine whether he jumped into the water or accidentally fell in.
The teen, who drowned in Myers Bay, had not been publicly identified as of Tuesday morning while authorities awaited an autopsy.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Chief Christopher Covelli said the boy either went off a boat intentionally or fell into the water and did not come back up.
Officials said the teen’s friends entered the water and tried to locate him, but their search was unsuccessful.
A 911 call was placed around 6 p.m., and emergency responders arrived minutes later at the Chain O’Lakes near north suburban Fox Lake.
Dive crews and search teams initially treated the response as a rescue effort, but the operation later shifted to recovery.
The missing teenager was found nearly two hours later with the help of an underwater drone device. Authorities said he was not wearing a life jacket.
“Just recreational swimming on the water, went into the water and never came back up. At that point, we were contacted via 911 and started our operations and response,” Fox Lake Fire Deputy Chief Samuel Santiago said. “This is a great location to come bring your families and that’s what they were just trying to do, so just from that aspect, from the organization to the family, we’re very sorry for your loss.”
