June 19, 2021 11p; Updated 6-20 8a with lifeguard information
(WGTD)---A nine-year-old girl is dead and a 17-year-old boy is in critical condition following a pair of unrelated incidents in Lake Michigan off of Racine beaches minutes apart Saturday evening.
The first call for help came from Zoo Beach at 6:29 p.m., according to a news release from the Racine County Sheriff's Dept. A girl was located at 6:54, removed from the water and taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.
The second incident was reported at 6:35 at North Beach, just a short distance south of Zoo Beach. The teen was pulled from the water about 200 yards from shore, the release said. He's hospitalized in critical condition.
The circumstances leading up to each incident were not immediately clear.
A check with the National Weather Service office in Sullivan indicated no sudden changes in the weather between 6 and 7. No warnings were in effect.
According to the city's website, North Beach is staffed with lifeguards daily until 6 p.m. The Zoo Beach has none.
-0-