Authorities in Illinois have identified 14-year-old Kyle Williams, a Milwaukee boy, as the drowning victim recovered Friday, July 25, in Lake Michigan.
Law enforcement in Lake County undertook a multiday search and recovery effort for the boy after receiving calls July 22 about a beachgoer at Illinois Beach State Park who had gone underwater and never resurfaced.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office said the boy’s body was recovered Friday morning, July 25, around the north beach area. An autopsy conducted the same day indicated his death was consistent with drowning.
Witnesses at the beach told ABC7 in Chicago they saw the boy sitting or standing along rocks when he was hit by a wave and knocked into the lake.
The coroner’s office issued a release July 26 reminding the public of the dangers involved in swimming in Lake Michigan and urged using personal flotation devices in bodies of water.
Those dangers include rip currents and structural currents near piers, jetties and breakwalls that can pull swimmers underwater and trap them against structures.
“We are not trying to scare the public — we are trying to save lives. It only takes a few seconds for a fun day to turn into a tragedy,” Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek said.
The drowning remains under investigation by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police and the Lake County Coroner’s Office.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee boy recovered after Lake Michigan drowning in Illinois