Updated 9:30 PM
The Wilmette Fire Department was called before 6 PM this evening after a swimmer was caught in strong currents at Gillson Park on Lake Michigan and disappeared. Upon arrival, the department coordinated with divers from across Division 3, the Coast Guard, and requested a helicopter from the Chicago Fire Department. However, the Chicago helicopter was unavailable due to another ongoing rescue operation. It managed one brief pass over the area before returning to Midway Airport for refueling.
Chicago Fire Department Helicopter 6-8-2 makes a pass over the lakefront in Wilmette trying to spot a swimmer that was in distress. Jeff Rudolph photo
Due to the rough water conditions, divers were unable to enter the lake. Instead, firefighters walked along the breakwater and into the surf in search of the missing swimmer. Evanston Fire Department provided jet skis, allowing divers to reach the water more effectively. After over an hour on scene, the swimmer’s body was spotted by a firefighter on the beach, and the jet skis were used to bring the body to shore.
Fire department divers in swift water gear walk in the waters off the beach in Wilmette searching for a missing swimmer. Jeff Rudolph photo
Divers wade through rough waves as others walk the breakwater looking for a swimmer who was overcome by the current. Jeff Rudolph photo
Tim Olk and Jeff Rudolph were on the scene and captured the entire operation. Jeff Rudolph provided a detailed account of what happened:
At the Wilmette Code 4 and dive box at Gillson Park today, a 15-year-old male was pulled under by a strong current. Conditions were too severe for divers to go underwater, so they used pike poles and walking patterns to locate the victim. After 1.5 hours, the victim was spotted in the surf by a spotter on shore. The victim was pulled out unresponsive. ALS care was started on the beach and the patient was transported to Wilmette Ambulance 27. Medics from Wilmette, Deerfield, and Skokie worked on the victim and transported him to Evanston Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The wave runners used belonged to the Evanston FD. Chicago FD Air 1 assisted with an overhead look, but the churned up water was too murky to see anything.
The Evanston Fire Department wave runner tows a diver along the shoreline in Wilmette on Saturday. Jeff Rudolph photo
A staging officer manages resources as they arrive at Gillson Park to assist the Wilmette Fire Department with rescuing a swimmer in distress. Jeff Rudolph photo
The Chicago Tribune reported the incident here:
A 14-year-old boy died after being pulled from Lake Michigan this evening off of Gillson Park in Wilmette.
The search began sometime after 6 p.m. in the water off the beach near Sheridan Road and Michigan Avenue in the North Shore suburb, and the search ended about 7 p.m. when a male of unknown age was pulled from the water.
A witness saw officials pull the person from the water and put him onto a stretcher while performing CPR. The person was then placed into a Wilmette fire ambulance and taken from the scene.
Wilmette Battalion 26 took command of the scene. Jeff Rudolph photo
Wilmette Squad 26 carries gear for the department divers. Jeff Rudolph photo
Glencoe divers responded with Ambulance 30. Jeff Rudolph photo
The Des Plaines Fire Department Dive Squad 78 and boat. Jeff Rudolph photo
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