New Dad Drowns At Beach State Park

WAUKEGAN, IL — A man who drowned at Illinois Beach State Park Wednesday has been identified as J.C. Lindsay IV. Fire departments from Winthrop Harbor, Zion and Beach Park were called to the scene around 12:15 p.m. after receiving reports of a possible drowning. The 18-year-old Zion man had been swimming with a friend about 50 yards from store when he began struggling and went underwater, according to Lake County Coroner Howard Cooper.

Witnesses called 911 immediately, and a kayaker was able to find Lindsay after less than 15 minutes in five to 10 feet of water and bring him to shore, authorities said. But by that time, Lindsay was no longer breathing. Paramedics performed CPR and he was taken to Vista East Hospital in Waukegan, where he was pronounced dead.

Lindsay, a recent graduate of New Tech High at Zion-Benton East, had gotten married in March. He worked two jobs, with Amazon and Chipotle, had signed on to the Air Force and was due to ship out in two weeks. And just two months ago, Linday's wife gave birth to a son, his grandmother told the Lake County News-Sun.

A GoFundMe campaign established to help Lindsay's family with funeral arrangements described him as "a ray of sunshine in human form," said he "brightened the day of everyone he came into contact with and will be profoundly missed." (Sign up for our free daily newsletters and breaking news alerts for your community's Patch.)

Illinois Beach State Park Superintendent Saki Villalobos told the paper the waters were calm at the time of the incident and that it was the only drowning in the five years she has been in the job. There have never been lifeguards on duty at the park, which is located along the Illinois-Wisconsin border.

Emergency personnel said swimmers should be extremely careful in the Lake Michigan, as dangerous undertows can sneak up on even experienced swimmers under seemingly calm surface water. Authorities recommended swimming in groups and maintaining communication. So far in 2017, have been 33 drownings in Lake Michigan so far in 2017, according to a new report from the Great Lake Surf Rescue Project.

» Read more from the Lake County News-Sun.

Top photo: J.C. Lindsay | via GoFundMe