Woman Killed, 6 Others Rescued After Boat Near 'Playpen' Flips Over

Aug 22, 2023

Police recovered the body of 20-year-old Briana Joy Burden Friday afternoon after a search.

GOLD COAST — A woman has died and six people were rescued after a boat returning to shore in the early morning hours near the “Playpen” hit a breakwall and capsized.

At about 3:40 a.m. Friday, the boat holding seven adults, four in their 20s, was headed back to the shore when it flipped over, Fire Department spokesperson Larry Merritt said. The boat likely struck a breakwall near the 600 block of North DuSable Lake Shore Drive and capsized, police said.

The police marine unit, police officers and the Chicago Fire Department responded and rescued six people — four women and two men — from the water. They were transported to local hospitals and are in good condition, officials said.

The body of a fifth woman was recovered Friday afternoon, police said. She was identified as 20-year-old Briana Joy Burden of the 6100 block of West Waveland Avenue, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Last summer, the body of 29-year-old Spencer Williams, a recreational boater in the “Playpen,” was recovered from the water several days after he fell off a boat.

Williams was at least the third person to have died in Lake Michigan during that week as droves of boaters and swimmers flocked to the lakefront for the end of the summer season.

Lana Batochir, 34, was critically injured and nearly drowned last August after a boat in the “Playpen” reversed into her inflatable raft and the propeller hit her. Batochir’s lower legs were severed in the accident.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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