The 17-year-old boy was under water for a few minutes when his friend pulled him from the water near Danny Blaine Park in the Madrona neighborhood, medics said.

The incident began when a group of friends who were playing football on the beach decided to swim out to a buoy about 150 yards off shore. He was about half way there when he turned back toward shore and began yelling for help and struggling in water that is 8 feet deep, firefighters said.

Friends said the teenager is a good swimmer, but he hadn't eaten much on Thursday and may have become weak while swimming out to the buoy.

The boy was unconscious and struggling to breathe when he was taken from the water.

Medics revived him and took him to Harborview Medical Center.

There was no information about his condition because of privacy laws, but medics at the scene said they thought he would be OK.