A skateboarder who fell off a pier and into Lake Michigan in Whiting, Indiana early Thursday morning was rescued by firefighters who tied a rope to a surfboard to bring him back to safety, authorities said.
The 17-year-old boy was among four teens from Hammond who had gone to the Whihala Beach pier to watch the sunrise just before 6 a.m., the fire department said. The group had skateboards and some were doing tricks on a concrete strip in the middle of the pier, according to the authorities.
Fire officials said the 17-year-old was doing a trick near the end of the pier when he went off the concrete strip and his board got stuck in the grate. That's when Whiting Fire chief Gus Danielides said the teen fell off his skateboard, into a railing and into the water.
The teen was able to hold onto a piling in the water as rescuers were called to the scene.
When the fire department arrived, Danielides said firefighters tied a rope to a surfboard, which they used to bring the teen to safety.
The boy was not injured and was being released into the custody of his parents, Danielides said.
