Lake Michigan Death Under Investigation at Chicago’s Belmont Harbor

Police investigate after 22-year-old is recovered from water near Chicago Yacht Club

CHICAGO — A 22-year-old man was pulled from Lake Michigan outside the Chicago Yacht Club in Belmont Harbor on Wednesday morning and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Chicago police said the man was recovered from the water near the 300 block of West Belmont Avenue, an area along the city’s lakefront close to Belmont Harbor. He was pronounced dead at approximately 10:20 a.m. Wednesday.

Authorities did not immediately disclose the man’s identity or provide details about how long he may have been in the water. Police also had not determined whether foul play played a role in the death.

The recovery occurred near the Chicago Yacht Club, in one of Chicago’s busiest recreational harbor areas. Belmont Harbor draws boaters, walkers and visitors during the warmer months, while Lake Michigan’s waterfront can present hazardous conditions because of cold water, waves and changing weather.

Deaths and emergency recoveries in open water can require investigators to determine the circumstances leading up to a person entering the lake, including whether the death was accidental, medical in nature or connected to possible criminal activity. Officials have not announced a cause or manner of death in this case.

The Chicago Police Department said its Area 3 detectives are investigating. The investigation remained ongoing Wednesday, and no further information about potential foul play had been released.