3 Men Rescued From Lake Michigan Amid Hazardous Conditions

EVANSTON, IL — Three people were rescued from Lake Michigan by the Evanston Fire Department in two incidents over the weekend.

There were no injuries reported in either incident, although the hazardous water conditions proved deadly elsewhere on the lakefront.

In the first incident, a 37-year-old Chicago man was watching the Chicago Air Show Saturday from a kayak.

High waves filled the kayak with water, and the man got into the water without a life vest around 1 p.m. It would be about seven hours before he was rescued.

Fire crews got the call around 7:30 p.m. Their rescue efforts were assisted by Evanston lifeguards, the U.S. Coast Guard and divers with the Chicago Fire Department, according to the Evanston Fire Department.

The second incident took place around 7 a.m. Sunday morning at Clark Street Beach.

Two Northwestern University students on the beach were tossing around a football when the ball went into the water, according to the fire department.

One of the men went into the lake in an attempt to go get the ball, but he was pulled out by the current. And when his friend entered the water in an attempt to save him, he too was pulled away from the shore by the strong current.

According to the fire department, rescue swimmers and Evanston Fire Department jet skis were immediately deployed to the scene and pulled the two men to safety.

Related: Man Drowns In Lake Michigan Offshore From Rogers Park

A beach hazard advisory issued by the National Weather Service was in effect until Sunday night, and fire officials recommended avoiding lakefront activities until weather conditions improve.

At least two people drowned amid the high waves and strong currents, including a man in the waters off Rogers Park and a child in Waukegan, according to television reports.

Related: Young Boy Drowns At Waukegan Beach: Officials

As of the start of August, there had been 24 drownings in Lake Michigan in 2021 so far, according to the nonprofit Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project.

Detectives in Lake County are working to identify the body of a woman found floating in the lake last weekend. She is believed to have entered the lake as early as Aug. 3.

Authorities released a sketch of the woman, who was six to seven months pregnant at time of her death.

Related: Authorities Seek To Identify Pregnant 'Lake Michigan Jane Doe'