CHICAGO (WLS) — A body has been pulled from Montrose Harbor, hours after a person went missing in the water in Chicago’s “Playpen” area of Lake Michigan Wednesday night, according to CPD.
The body of a 38-year-old Chicago man was discovered in the 200-block of West Montrose Drive just after 12:20 a.m. Thursday. Chicago fire crews took the individual to Weiss Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
CFD could not immediately confirm that this is the person missing from the “Playpen,” but the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office said the man pulled from the lake was Francisco Gonzalez.
Another person is in critical condition after becoming unconscious on the same boat, near Oak Street Beach, Wednesday night.
Police said shortly before 7 p.m., their marine unit responded to a report that a person allegedly fell off a boat in the “Playpen” near the Jardine Water filtration plant.
RELATED: Chicago boat accident in ‘Playpen’ leaves 2 in serious condition, fire officials say
When officers arrived, they began looking for the missing person.
Police also said the Coast Guard brought an unconscious person who had been on that same boat to shore. That person was taken to Northwestern Hospital in critical condition.
The marine unit searched the lake for the missing person, but the search was suspended for the night. It resumed Thursday morning.
READ MORE: Boating accident in Chicago’s ‘Playpen’ raises safety concerns about Lake Michigan party spot
The Coast Guard said the missing person was wearing a red shirt and blue jean shorts.
This incident with the “Playpen” comes amid growing concerns about safety in that part of the lake.
Just last weekend, a mother was seriously hurt when she was sucked under a boat that crashed into a raft she was on with friends.
Lana Batochir just underwent a double amputation of her legs, below her knees.
She’s also hired attorneys who are launching their own investigation and considering a lawsuit.
Incidents like these are a worrisome sign to sailboat owners on the lake.
“It’s gotten more and more crowded. I used to go there and anchor years and years ago. But it is a little out-of-hand now. I don’t know what the marine police can do much more than go through there,” sailboat owner Tom Payne said.
Because of federal laws that govern the waterways, the U.S. Coast Guard said it’s not possible to limit capacity or access to the popular no-wake boating area near Ohio Street Beach.
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