A girl died after she and her family were swept deeper into Lake Michigan waters on an Indiana beach visit, becoming the latest victim of the deadliest of the Great Lakes.
The girl and two family members were in the lake Saturday evening at Washington Park Beach in Michigan City when a wave hit and pulled them into deeper water, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
Good Samaritans rescued two swimmers, but the girl was not immediately found, officials said. Shortly before 10 p.m., Michigan City Fire Department divers located the girl, who was taken to Franciscan Hospital in Michigan City, where she was pronounced dead.
Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating and the cause of death is pending autopsy results, officials said.
Additionally, a 14-year-old girl from Dayton, Ohio, was in critical condition after another rescue Sunday afternoon at Washington Park Beach.
At about 1 p.m., emergency responders headed to the beach after reports of people struggling in the water. Several young people were rescued, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, but the 14-year-old was missing. About 10 minutes later, a Jet Ski operator saw the teen under the water’s surface and alerted the Michigan City Fire Department, officials said.
The teen was taken to Franciscan Hospital and then to South Bend Memorial Hospital, where she was in critical condition, officials said.
There have been 30 drownings in the Great Lakes this year, according to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, a nonprofit that tracks drownings. Nearly half occurred in Lake Michigan. Last year was the deadliest recorded for Lake Michigan since the project began tracking drownings in 2010.
Earlier this month, officials urged Chicagoans to keep water safety front of mind. Strong waves, rip currents and steep drop-offs can make wading into Lake Michigan a potentially fatal choice. It’s also meteotsunami season; the weather-driven waves happen in the Great Lakes region, on average, more than 100 times a year, according to a 2016 study.
The National Weather Service encouraged swimmers to stay out of the water Monday at northwest Indiana beaches along Lake Michigan due to dangerous conditions. Waves as high as 7 feet are possible, along with life-threatening currents, forecasters said.
