Community member credited with saving three others on day the beaches were closed for swimming
The Evanston Fire Department responded to a distress call from Lighthouse Beach today at approximately 4 p.m. Four swimmers were struggling in the water. Prior to the arrival of the Evanston Fire Department, one adult female and two teenage females were rescued by a community member. One of the teenage females was transported to an area hospital, where she was treated and released. The fourth swimmer, a 41-year-old male, remains missing.
Following the initiation of rescue efforts, a request for mutual aid was issued for rescue divers, leading to collaborative search and recovery operations. The Evanston Fire Department, with support from the Wilmette Fire Department, Coast Guard, and Chicago Fire Department, engaged in an extensive search for the missing individual. Various equipment, including drones, a helicopter, and sonar technology, have been utilized in these ongoing efforts to locate the individual.
The beach was under a red flag alert today. Red flag advisories are issued when water conditions are dangerous, swimming is not permitted, and lifeguards are not on duty.
After extensive search efforts, the Evanston Fire Department has made the difficult decision to call off the search for today. However, the search will resume tomorrow, Monday, July 1, during the morning hours, as we remain committed to the recovery of the missing individual.
For more information, please call/text 847-448-4311. For convenience, community members may simply dial 3-1-1 in Evanston.
