14-May-18 – A 63-year-old man whose body was removed from Lake Michigan near Belmont Harbor in February died from drowning, the Cook County Medical Examiner has ruled.

The unidentified man was found in the lake just south of the harbor entrance on the afternoon of February 9. A woman walking near the lake called 911 and said the man was submerged about three feet from shore.

Divers battled slush-filled water and sharp ice to retrieve the man’s body. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

The medical examiner’s ruling last week did not determine a manner of the man’s death, such as accident, suicide, or homicide. Hypothermia due to environmental cold exposure was cited as a secondary cause of death.

Authorities also determined that a 25-year-old woman whose body was recovered from Montrose Harbor on May 1 committed suicide by drowning. United States Coast Guard personnel found the woman in the water near “O” dock, the westernmost dock on the north side of the harbor. The Chicago Police Marine & Helicopter Unit recovered her remains.