Evanston Fire Department resumes search for missing swimmer at Lighthouse Beach on Lake Michigan; 2 swimmers rescued

EVANSTON, Ill. (WLS) – Lighthouse Beach is closed as emergency crews continue their search Monday for a swimmer who went missing after jumping into the water.

The Evanston Fire Department was back at Lake Michigan on Monday morning and resumed its search for the man who disappeared into the water on Sunday afternoon.

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Aided by fire departments from Chicago and other suburbs, as well as the U.S. Coast Guard, crews are currently focusing on a half-mile area starting south from Lighthouse Beach. They are using sonar and other technology, but choppy waters are making the job difficult.

“Even our rescuers reported extremely dangerous current and wave conditions they encountered in their boats during the search this morning,” said Matt Smith of the Evanston Fire Department.

It was Sunday afternoon when an emergency call came in that four swimmers were in trouble in the water.

Joe Flanagan said he witnessed it all.

Flanagan was at Lighthouse Beach with his son-in-law and grandson. He said two teenage girls were having difficulty in the water when a woman and man jumped in to help them.

“It just didn’t look like everything was going well, so I just put on my shorts, jumped in the water, grabbed the mother, the daughter and one of the other girls and pulled them up,” Flanagan said.

Flanagan got the teenagers and the woman to safety, but when he went back to look for the man, he couldn’t find him. He said there was a red flag on the beach, meaning swimming was prohibited. He says it’s important that people heed safety warnings.

“The only reason I’m here now talking to you is because people need to know that this is really dangerous. This water is incredibly dangerous,” Flanagan said.

Just on Monday morning, a man died after being pulled from the lake near Montrose Beach.

Dave Benjamin of the Great Lake Surf Rescue Project said about 50 people drown in Lake Michigan each year and that swimming skills are no guarantee of survival.

“Essentially, people have to be able to swim to live, to be able to swim to survive. They have to turn on their backs and swim, stay on the surface until they can either save themselves or a professional can rescue them,” Benjamin said.