Family, friends and community members gathered on Friday to remember the life of a 17-year-old boy who drowned after swimming at a beach in Evanston.

Sameer Quadri was a senior at Niles North High School in Skokie. He died Wednesday night after he was pulled out of the water at Lighthouse Beach in Evanston.

Hundreds gathered Friday at the Muslim Community Center in Chicago to remember Sameer. His family and basketball coach said he was a universally beloved person who will deeply be missed and leaves behind a major void.

It was a solemn day at the Muslim Community Center in the Albany Park neighborhood, as a community gathered to honor a young life cut short.

Sameer was a senior Niles North High School, where he played basketball for three years.

"Sameer was an incredible kid. … Just universally loved, respected," said his coach, Glenn Olson. "He made others around him better because of his presence. Everything that he did was selfless. … He left a legacy in our program, and there's going to be a void that's going to be very, very difficult to fill."

According to the Evanston Fire Department, Sameer was among several teens swimming at Lighthouse Beach on Wednesday night.

Dangerous waves prompted officials to close the beach to swimming that day, and no lifeguards were on duty. When Sameer did not resurface, a 911 call was made, and just before 9 p.m. he was found in relatively shallow water 40 yards south of the break wall. He later died at the hospital.

"Truly just shock and a tragedy for our family," said his cousin, Habeeb Quadri.

Family members said Sameer had a twin brother and three other siblings. He was excited to pursue college after high school.

"Being 17, just starting off his life, it's truly a shock in the way it has happened," Habeeb said.

Relatives said they are overwhelmed by the outpouring of support they've received since Sameer died, but it's no surprise given Sameer's impact on everyone he met in life.

"He was a vibrant, happy, social individual who got along with a lot of individuals, and you see why so many friends came out," Habeeb said.

Sameer's family said the teenager's death is a reminder for everyone to take precautions when swimming in Lake Michigan.