On the evening of July 18, 2025, a heartbreaking incident occurred in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood, where a one-year-old boy lost his life in Lake Michigan. The tragedy unfolded around 9:45 p.m. in the 7000 block of South South Shore Drive, near South Shore Beach, when Chicago police responded to a service call regarding a 31-year-old woman found in the water.

Upon arrival, authorities discovered that the woman, identified as the boy’s mother, had allegedly drowned her one-year-old son. The Chicago Fire Department’s Marine Unit recovered the child’s body from the lake, and he was rushed to Comer Children’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The woman was taken into custody and transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center for evaluation. Her condition remains undisclosed.

The Chicago Police Department has classified the case as a homicide, and Area One detectives are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. As of now, no charges have been formally announced, and the relationship between the woman and the child has been confirmed as that of mother and son. The boy’s identity has not been released by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, pending notification of relatives.

Details regarding the events leading up to the drowning remain unclear, and authorities have not provided further information on the motive or circumstances. The investigation is ongoing, with police continuing to gather evidence and witness statements to piece together the tragic sequence of events.

This devastating loss has added to the growing number of drowning incidents reported in Lake Michigan, prompting renewed calls from local officials and water safety advocates for increased precautions along the lakefront, particularly in unguarded areas. The community mourns the loss of the young child, and the incident serves as a somber reminder of the dangers posed by open water and the need for vigilance.