Evanston authorities called off an hourslong search near Lee Street Beach after receiving a report of a missing swimmer on Monday afternoon.
At about 3:15 p.m. fire and police personnel responded to a call reporting a lost swimmer at Greenwood Beach, according to a post by the Evanston Police Department on X, formerly Twitter. A search by Evanston Fire Department Marine Units and rescue divers followed with the assistance of several regional fire departments. Crews centered on Lee Street, just south of Greenwood.
The boats came back to shore around 5:45 p.m. after crews could not locate anyone, said EFD Division Chief Kimberly Kull.
“We’re hoping it’s a misreport, because we cannot find anyone,” she told The Daily. “We’ve done everything we possibly can given the information provided to conduct the search several times over, and we are unable to find anybody.”
The initial report by a lifeguard indicated a swimmer submerged in water and never reappeared, Kull added. A mutual aid response — which included emergency vehicles from neighboring departments — ensued, she confirmed.
A Chicago Police Department helicopter and news copters circled overhead as onlookers watched the water. Earlier in the afternoon, EFD said all swimming beaches would be closed because of the investigation.
“It was a tremendous operational coordination effort, and I’m just proud to have the teams that we have in place to conduct an effective, efficient search,” Kull said.
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
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