The body of a 24-year-old woman was recovered after she fell off a boat Tuesday evening in Monroe Harbor, according to police.
Divers found her in the south end of the harbor within an hour of resuming the search 8:15 a.m. Wednesday in Lake Michigan, Chicago police said.
The search began about 9:40 p.m. Tuesday when a boat struck the break wall near the Museum Campus, sending the woman into the water, police said.
At least three other boaters were pulled safely from the water, according to Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Merritt.
Divers searched the waters into the early morning, but suspended the search until Wednesday morning, police said. Divers were using sonar when they found her about 9 a.m.
Merritt said the woman wasn’t wearing a life jacket — a device he said could have prevented the tragedy.
“Every single passenger must have on a personal floatation device,” Merritt said. “We understand people are going to enjoy the weather and the lake, but we need to do it safely.”
The woman’s identity has not been released by the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
On Monday evening, another boat crashed into a break wall farther north near the water filtration plant. The marine unit rescued four people who fell overboard and towed the boat to shore.
Monday afternoon, a swimmer was in critical condition after being rescued from Lake Michigan near the Loop.
So far this year, at least 13 other people have drowned in Lake Michigan, according to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project. In 2019, a total of 48 people drowned in Lake Michigan.
