As Many As Four People Missing After Boat Sinks Off Chicago

[June 02, 2014]  (Reuters) - As many as four people were missing and two others were rescued after a power boat capsized and sank in chilly waters near Chicago, the Coast Guard said on Sunday.

The boat capsized on Saturday evening en route to Chicago's Burnham Harbor from New Buffalo, Michigan, a Coast Guard official said. No radio call for help was received.

A fishing boat noticed a person floating in the water about six miles (10 km) from the Chicago shore early on Sunday and contacted authorities.

Rescue teams said the man, who was wearing a floatation device, was pulled from the water around 7 a.m., about 12 hours after the boat capsized.

The rescued man told authorities his 30-foot (9-meter) power boat caught fire before it sank.

Because the man was suffering from hypothermia and mostly unresponsive, it was unclear whether the vessel was carrying a total of four or six passengers, the Coast Guard said.

Shortly after the man was rescued, crews pulled an unconscious woman from Lake Michigan, where water temperatures are 58 degrees Fahrenheit (14.4 Celsius).

(Reporting by Victoria Cavaliere; Editing by Jon Herskovitz and Robin Pomeroy)

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