10 people rescued, 1 dead, 1 missing from Lake Michigan in 2 days: officials

Expert shares water safety tips, after woman died after being pulled from Lake Michigan

Summer has officially begun and so too has drowning season along the shores of Lake Michigan.

CHICAGO - One person died and 10 others were rescued from drowning in Lake Michigan over the last two days, officials said. One person is still missing.

What we know:

On Friday, three family members were hospitalized after they were rescued at West Beach in Indiana Dunes National Park. The individuals are from the Chicago area. 

One of the people was in the water and in trouble, according to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project. The two others went in to help and also went under the water. 

The current conditions of the individuals are not known at this time.

On Saturday, there were five rescue incidents.

Around 4 p.m., crews were searching for a missing person in the water at 63rd Street Beach. Two people were reportedly in the lake near Jackson Park. One of the people managed to get out, while the other is still missing. Chicago Fire Department divers and a helicopter are searching for the missing person.

Around 5:20 p.m., an individual was pulled out of Lake Michigan east of Navy Pier. The victim was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition but later died. She was identified as Zahrie Walls, 27, of Chicago, by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.

Around 5:52 p.m., the Porter Fire and Dive Team were sent to rescue a person stranded on a paddle boat at Porter Beach. A helicopter rescued the paddleboarder.

Around 7:18 p.m., Portage Fire, Ognen Dunes Fire Department and the dive team rescued three people in the water at West Beach. A boater rescued the people and all three made it safely to shore.

What they're saying:

Fox 32 spoke with the Executive Director of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project Dave Benjamin.

"It's a hot, sunny day, you're on an inner tube, you're just having the best time of your life, and you're not realizing it, but the wind is slowly blowing you away from shore," Benjamin said. "Once you are in water where you cannot touch, you are no longer in control of that inner tube."

He explained it's often fear that leads to tragic outcomes. 

"So you're in the water, you're swimming, you accidentally inhale a drip of water, your throat closes, now you go to instant panic," he said.

"What we advocate is flip, float, and follow the emphasis on floating. You need to flip over your back and float to keep the head above water to calm yourself down from panic, to conserve your energy, and then follow a safe path out of the water."

According to the CDC, drownings are the second leading cause of death for kids between the ages of five and 14. And yet lawmakers in states along Lake Michigan have been slow to mandate water safety curriculums in schools.

"No one plays in fire, but everyone plays in water, and very few people know a drowning survival strategy," Benjamin said.

Every year, there are nearly 100 drownings in the Great Lakes, with close to one half of all drownings happening in Lake Michigan.