A person died after being pulled from Lake Michigan near 31st Street Beach Monday.
According to Chicago firefighters, a full response was mounted at 31st Street Beach just after 2 p.m. for reports of a person in the water.
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WATCH HEREDozens of crews with the fire department braved the waves of Lake Michigan trying to save what appeared to be a drowning man.
Monday night, the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed that the victim had died at the University of Chicago Medical Center at approximately 3:46 p.m., but no further information was available.
Alex Castillo was nearby when it happened.
"We saw the ambulances, the cops they told us they were working on him, giving him CPR," Castillo said via a translator.
The water temperature was dangerously cold, at only 55 degrees Fahrenheit. High winds in the area created choppy waves.
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"We were just looking to see if he would make it, if he could be saved, because honestly he was in rough shape," Castillo said.
No swim warning was issued, because Chicago's beaches don't open officially until Memorial Day. There are no lifeguards on duty yet.
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SIGN UP Dave Benjamin, with the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, said now is the time drownings start to spike.
"What seems like an innocent quick dip in the water can be deadly because the water is so cold, the cold water will shock you and incapacitate your swimming ability," Benjamin said.
Shock can happen in water that is as warm as 60 degrees.
“A person who’s drowning can’t ask for help or wave for help so often times people might be watching the person in the water and not even know that their drowning," Benjamin said. "They just suddenly disappear, they submerge."
The Surf and Rescue Project told NBC Chicago there have already been 8 drownings in 2025 on the Great Lakes. The average is typically 100 per year.
