Diver critically injured 18 miles out on Lake Michigan

A diver was critically injured Sunday after getting decompression sickness 18 miles out on Lake Michigan.

About 11:05 a.m., the Chicago Fire Department got word that a recreational diver was injured about 18 miles east of Navy Pier on the lake, fire officials said. Emergency crews rushed out to meet the dive boat and he was offloaded at Montrose Harbor in critical condition.

Paramedics took the diver, a 40-year-old man, to Lutheran General Hospital after searching for a facility with a hyperbaric chamber, officials said. According to the Mayo Clinic, “hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized room or tube… [and] is a well-established treatment for decompression sickness.”

Sunday’s rescue was the second major operation on the lake this morning. Earlier, a male body was pulled out of the lake in Rogers Park on the North Side.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.