The condition of Hunter Boutain, of Alexandria, Minnesota, was critical on Wednesday night at the University of Minnesota Medical Center after he became the victim of a rare-but-lethal brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri amoeba. He contracted the infection after swimming in Minnewaska.

Lake Minnewaska remained empty on Wednesday after news surfaced that a 14-year-old swimmer was battling for life due to a frightening parasitic infection in the lake.

Boutain was breathing with a respirator and remained largely unresponsive, said a post from his uncle on a family CaringBridge website. His uncle wrote they are praying to god for some miracle to save Boutain’s life.

Trisha Robinson, supervisor of the Minnesota Department of Health’s waterborne diseases unit, says the case of Boutain is unfortunate and a big lesson for other swimmers to take precautions before swimming in freshwater lake.

“It should be assumed that it can be anywhere. While the occurrence of the amoeba is common, infections fortunately are rare. That’s not to take anything away from the families that this has affected, because rare is not rare when it’s you”, said Robinson.

Experts say that the amoeba does not affect when you drink water containing it. However, it proves lethal after it manages to enter a person’s nose while swimming in water. The amoeba then makes its way to the brain from the nose. The amoeba is capable of living underground and starts residing in lakes after temperatures go up.