Two men died separately after they were pulled from Lake Michigan early Saturday, despite warnings from the weather service to stay out of the water.
Jeremy D. Kennedy, 26, was getting off a boat early Saturday in the area of Jackson Park Beach near the 5900 block of South Lake Shore Drive when he fell in the water, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Other people on the boat then lost sight of him.
After being located by the police marine unit, Kennedy was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center where he died at 3:21 a.m., authorities said. He lived in the Washington Park neighborhood on the South Side.
Christopher Charnow, 28, died in a similar incident just over an hour later, according to the medical examiner’s office. Authorities were called about 3:45 a.m. to Oak Street Beach near the 1000 block of North Lake Shore Drive. A woman was able to get out of the water on her own, but Charnow was lost in crashing waves, authorities said.
A Chicago Fire Department dive team tracked Charnow down, brought him to shore and then to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:24 a.m., authorities said. He lived in Royal Oak, Michigan.
Autopsies Sunday did not rule on either man’s cause or manner of death pending further investigation.
The National Weather Service issued a beach hazard warning for Lake and Cook counties that expired about 9 p.m. Saturday.
Waves in Lake Michigan ranged from 3 to 5 feet tall Saturday night, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Kevin Birk.
The Lake Michigan boat party near Navy Pier was postponed Saturday morning due to high waves, according to an Instagram post from the organizer, Chicago Scene Magazine. The event was rescheduled for Sunday.
The Chicago Fire Department held a press conference Saturday morning near North Avenue Beach to further warn of the dangerous conditions. Officials advised beachgoers to pay attention to lifeguards and any posted advisories from the Chicago Park District.
