A family vacation turned tragic after the teen vanished in the water near Beverly Shores, Indiana, on Tuesday.
The deceased 17-year-old boy, who is from Eagan, Minnesota, has not yet been identified.
Crews were out searching around the clock for the missing swimmer for multiple days.
By Wednesday, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources had called it a recovery mission.
"We're checking the shoreline," Porter Fire Chief Jay Craig Jr. said Wednesday. "We're searching about a three-mile area of beach just looking for any signs, whether it's an article of clothing that he may have been wearing."
Shortly after 2 p.m. Tuesday, Indiana DNR said the Minnesota teen was swimming out in Lake Michigan near Beverly Shores on vacation with family when he disappeared.
"They're from out of town, came to the beach for a day of lake activities, and found themselves in the water and in some trouble," Indiana DNR Conservation Officer Tyler Brock said.
The water was even rougher Tuesday, with massive waves and high winds.
"Our original call was one in the water missing and one in distress," Chief Craig said. "When we arrived, ultimately, we had three patients that were out of the water that were transported to the hospital along with the one that was missing."
"I know witnesses got involved and got in the water too to try to help," Brock said. "One of them ended up needing to be transported to the hospital as well. So it got pretty intense... There were forecasted six to nine foot waves, and a beach hazard statement was in effect so really dangerous swimming conditions," Brock said.
Rescue personnel were hindered by the treacherous conditions and used ATVs and other aerial tools to search for the missing teen from ground.
"The water conditions are unsafe, unsafe for even our divers and our trained rescue swimmers," Chief Craig said. "So everything has been shore-based or helicopter, drone or boat on the water."