Man found on beach dies

[gmg77]

June 18, 2010
News-Sun
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/news/2406080,5_1_WA18_BODYFOUND_S1-100618.article">http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/news ... 18.article</a><!-- m -->

Authorities are waiting for toxicology reports on a 56-year-old Waukegan man who died after being found unconscious on the city's North Beach.

David McClelland of the 2700 block of Pepper Tree Lane was taken to Vista Medical Center East, Waukegan, where he was pronounced dead at 11:33 a.m. Wednesday, said Lake County Coroner Dr. Richard Keller.

Keller said Thursday authorities are investigating the death as a possible overdose because of questionable stomach contents. The cause of death is pending the toxicology report, he said.

[gmg77]

Another death at the lake front.


'They were almost there'
Man, 21, drowns in Waukegan Harbor channel
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/news/2421802,5_1_WA23_DROWN_S1-100623.article">http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/news ... 23.article</a><!-- m -->
June 23, 2010
By FRANK ABDERHOLDEN <!-- e --><a href="mailto:fabderholden@stmedianetwork.com">fabderholden@stmedianetwork.com</a><!-- e -->
A group of friends came down to the Waukegan lakefront late Tuesday afternoon, and three young men decided to swim the harbor channel.

One didn't make it.

Antoine Miller, 21, of Waukegan, was rushed to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan, where he was pronounced dead.

Miller decided to try to swim the width of the harbor channel -- approximately 40 to 50 yards -- which he had never done before, with his friends Jesus "Jesse" Figueroa, 20, and Alex Saenz, 18, both of whom swam the channel on other occasions.

"We were all sitting down," said Jessica Lopez, 17, of Waukegan, referring to the group of about 10 friends who came to the beach around 4 p.m. to hang out near the north concrete wall of the harbor channel near the municipal beach band shell.

"And they just jumped off," she said. "They swam across. They were almost there," she said.

"They were about five feet away," said Daisy Saenz, 15, of Waukegan. "He (Miller) jumped on Jesse's back, but he slipped off as he (Jesse) reached for the ladder."

"He just slid off his back," said Lopez. "We heard them scream when they lost him."

There was talk among Miller's friends that his muscles had cramped, and Daisy Saenz said that Miller had a bad back.



"It was a usual thing for them," Daisy Saenz said of Figueroa and Alex Saenz swimming the channel. "He (Miller) had never gone across."

Rescuers received a 9-1-1 call at 5:15 p.m.

There are some no-swimming signs in the area, but they are few and far between compared to the big "no-wake" signs painted on the walls.

"Maybe we need more no-swimming signs," said Waukegan Mayor Robert Sabonjian as he watched the divers' rescue effort.

At one point, Sabonjian tried to stop a boat from entering the harbor by waving his hands so it wouldn't enter the rescue zone.

"Boat traffic alone makes this a dangerous area," said the mayor.

When one of the two divers found Miller and pulled him up to the waiting boat, Fire Chief Dan Young said there was a possibility they could revive him because the water was cold and he'd been under water for about 50 minutes.

Miller recently quit his job at the local Wal-Mart, according to his friends. He has a child with a girlfriend, but they have not been together for awhile, his friend said.

[Danno]

That channel is a lot further than it looks. I swam it when I was about 18 and it was a bit scary. I remember about the half way point thinking what the hell am I doing? I think it's more than 40 or 50 yards though. Who the heck made that estimate?

[gmg77]

I think no matter how many signs kids will swim when the weather is nice. Maybe they should put up "toxic PCBs no swimming" to deter swimming. Just plain disturbing when someone so young dies from horse play.

[gmg77]

This is getting eerie, If you go to the beach be safe people.


Body of Missing Swimmer Found
Updated 9:15 PM CDT, Fri, Jun 25, 2010


Source: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local-beat/beach-park-swimmer-search-97204694.html#ixzz0s1LsCbco">http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local-be ... z0s1LsCbco</a><!-- m -->

The body of a missing 20-year-old swimmer has been found in Lake Michigan in the far north suburbs off Illinois Beach State Park.
A U.S. Coast Guard spokesman said the agency was alerted about Friday afternoon that a young man swimming in the park near Beach Park, between Zion and Waukegan, was lost in the lake.
The body was recovered and the 20-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene about 7 p.m., according to Lake County Coroner Dr. Richard Keller.
The man's identity has not yet been released.. His body was taken to Vista Health Victory Memorial Hospital in Waukegan.
Officials did not say where the man's body was recovered.
The Lake County Sheriff's office and Beach Park Fire Dept. assisted but could not immediately provide further information.


Source: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local-beat/beach-park-swimmer-search-97204694.html#ixzz0s1M04qTp">http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local-be ... z0s1M04qTp</a><!-- m -->