A man’s body was pulled from Lake Michigan on Saturday in the party-friendly “Playpen” — just a week after a woman’s feet were severed there in a boating accident.
The body of 29-year-old Spencer Williams was recovered around 5 p.m. in the lake’s waters near the 1000 block of North Lake Shore Drive, according to Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Police are conducting a death investigation.
The “Playpen” is a popular spot for boaters due to its designation as a no-wake zone and its protection from waves by break walls. Boats there are known to tie together and the area has a reputation for partying.
Authorities had been searching for a man who was presumed to have drowned after he fell from a boat in the area Wednesday. The Chicago police News Affairs office was unable to say if Williams was that missing person.
In the wake of that apparent drowning and two others in just two days and the boating accident that severed 34-year-old Lana Batochir’s feet on Aug. 13, police and fire officials urged boaters and swimmers on Thursday to take precautions.
“Please be responsible over water, wear those PFDs (personal floatation devices), swim with a partner, and if you’re going to swim or boat, please don’t drink,” Chicago Police Marine Unit Lt. Tony Mendez told reporters.
