Note: The video in the player above is from a previous report.
A man’s body was recovered Saturday morning from Lake Michigan near Dempster Street Beach in Evanston, according to authorities.
The recovery comes nearly one week after a man went missing while swimming in difficult conditions in Lake Michigan near Lighthouse Beach.
Authorities said the Evanston Fire Department responded to calls of a body in the water at around 6:40 a.m. Saturday. The body had been discovered by a fishing charter, approximately two miles away from Dempster Street Beach.
The identity of the man is currently unknown, pending identification from the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The swimmer, a 41-year-old man, was last seen at around 4 p.m. on June 30 near Lighthouse Beach. He, along with an adult woman and two teenage girls, were pulled underwater, officials said.
Both the girls and the woman were rescued by a bystander, said Captain Jeff Boetto with the Evanston Fire Department.
While crews were pulled out of the water late Sunday, firefighters were still trying to late the swimmer using side sonar technology. Recovery efforts were slated to resume on Monday.
Speaking to reporters, Boetto detailed the dangerous conditions, explaining there was zero visibility on the water.
“So the water conditions when we arrived, we had 4 to 5 foot waves, winds were 14.5 knots out of the northwest, so they were very difficult conditions since the time we’ve got here…,” Boetto said.
Evanston police, in a post on X, reported that at around 4:30 p.m., emergency personnel were at the beach along Lake Michigan, searching for one swimmer.
The beach was closed, and people were asked to avoid the area.
A Chicago Fire Department helicopter and drone from the Evanston Fire Department were deployed to assist with search efforts, authorities said. Residents and visitors were also asked to avoid the Church Street boat ramp as additional search and rescue crews were staging at that site, police stated.