Chicago Water Rescue: Woman Saved, Man Missing in Lake Michigan Near 77th Street and Rainbow Beach, Says CFD

CHICAGO (WLS) — A woman was rescued from the water and a man went missing Thursday in Lake Michigan on the South Side, Chicago fire officials said.

The incident happened near Rainbow Beach in South Shore.

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For much of the afternoon., teams with the Chicago Fire Department and CPD were searching for a man believed to be missing in the water, and as of 4 p.m., official confirmed it has gone from a rescue operation to a recovery mission.

Chopper 7 was over the scene, where multiple boats and divers were seen conducting a search near the break wall at 77th Street and the lakefront.

Chicago officials said a 33-year-old man and 30-year-old woman who had been meditating went for a swim in the water.

“She had stated that while she was swimming across, they didn’t realize the current was as strong as it was in this area because of the winds coming out of the south right now,” CFD Marine Dive Ops. Dep. District Chief Jason Lach said.

The woman managed to make it to the east break wall and clung to the rocks for a half hour or so, yelling for help, CFD said. Eventually, a passerby heard her call a little after 1 p.m. and called 911.

The woman was taken to University of Chicago hospital in good condition, CFD officials said.

As of Thursday evening, it had been hours since the man was last seen.

Officials are reminding people that with temperatures expected in the 80s this weekend, beaches are closed for the season and there is no swimming allowed in Lake Michigan.

The particular location near South Shore is somewhat secluded. It’s several hundred yards from the main part of Rainbow Beach, which is close so there’s not a lot of people out there.