Search For 'Unlikely' Missing Swimmer Off Evanston Beach Complete

EVANSTON, IL — Public safety personnel from several towns were called to Lake Michigan on Monday afternoon after a swimmer was reported lost in the water.

Following a search from the air and sea, authorities determined it was "unlikely" that anyone was actually missing.

Dispatchers got a call of a person lost in the lake off Greenwood Beach around 3:15 p.m. and marine rescuers headed to the scene.

Authorities closed down all swimming beaches during the investigation, with a heavy police presence spotted at multiple beaches. The Church Street boat ramp was used as a staging area for rescue equipment, police said.

Police said they did not know the identity of the missing swimmer nor did they have a good description, but the initial report was that a swimmer went under and had not resurfaced.

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"At the present time there are several Marine Units, rescue divers, and a [Chicago Police Department] helicopter searching the waters," Evanston police announced around 5 p.m.

About an hour later, police said the search was finished and they had begun withdrawing police and fire personnel from the lakefront.

Five people have died in Lake Michigan, including one in the north suburbs, over the the past two months. Another was pulled from the water in critical condition, according to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project.