Efforts to locate a scuba diver, who remains missing after exploring a shipwreck in Lake Michigan, were halted Tuesday due to worsening water conditions but are expected to resume on Wednesday. According to CBS 58, numerous dive teams had embarked on a search that commenced following a distress call at 11:30 a.m. from a vessel that reported the diver had not resurfaced and required assistance.

The Kenosha County Sheriff's Department relayed, as reported by TMJ4, the missing individual was diving near the Village of Pleasant Prairie coastline, about six miles from shore in waters more than 100 feet deep. The diver was investigating the SS Wisconsin, a shipwreck that sank in 1929 and presents an alluring site for experienced divers, partly because invasive mussels have increased underwater visibility over recent years.

Brian Vaccaro of Diver Dan's Scuba and Aquatic Center commented on the situation, highlighting the cohesiveness of the diving community, saying, "The diving community's a very small, tight-knit group, so you know, when something like this happens, it hits hard, and a lot of people know each other so everybody's been calling and checking on each other," CBS 58 reports.

Kenosha County Sheriff David Zoerner described, the initial conditions were not severe, but Lake Michigan's unpredictability became a factor, forcing a retreat five hours into the search when "the weather picked up far offshore and the boats had a very difficult time." Acknowledging Lake Michigan's treacherous nature, Vaccaro added, "Lake Michigan is an inland ocean, it can change on a dime, you know. We've been out there before where it's flat, calm, and within 10 minutes, we're in three, four-footers," according to CBS 58.

The search is slated to continue on Wednesday morning as worried colleagues and family hope for positive news, per information from WISN. As the diving community awaits further updates, this incident serves as a grim reminder of the inherent risks associated with deep-water explorations.