evanston, IL – A 24-year-old man from Hanover Park was pronounced dead Saturday night after being recovered from Lake Michigan near Lighthouse beach, according to Evanston Fire Department officials. The recovery concluded a multi-hour search initiated by reports of swimmers in distress.
The incident marks the second drowning at Lighthouse Beach in less than a month, raising renewed concerns about water safety and adherence to posted “no swimming” signs. fire Chief Paul Polep expressed condolences to the victim’s family and emphasized the inherent dangers of the lake. “This is a constant reminder to anyone that these waters are hazardous and shoudl adhere to the posted no swimming signs,” Polep stated.
Evanston fire crews responded to the beach shortly after 7 p.m. where they found two swimmers already being assisted ashore by a bystander. A third swimmer was reported missing, last seen beyond the break wall.
A complete search operation was launched,involving specialized divers,rescue swimmers,Marine 21,Joint Fire boat 2681,multiple dive teams,the Coast Guard,and a helicopter from the Chicago Fire Department. Despite challenging lake conditions, crews located the missing swimmer around 9:40 p.m.
Paramedics evaluated the two swimmers who had self-rescued and released them without requiring hospitalization. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the deceased swimmer Sunday morning.
This tragedy follows a similar incident on the same beach less than a month ago, when a 17-year-old from Skokie drowned while swimming.
