A concerted effort is underway by local and federal agencies to locate a missing boater who vanished Sunday in the waters of Lake Michigan near Lake Forest. The Lake Forest Fire Department was first to respond to the scene at approximately 2:45 p.m. after a report that the boater, who had ventured out on a 15-foot catamaran-style sailboat, was overdue at the Lake Forest Boat Launch, according to CBS News Chicago.
The family of the missing individual reported that a rendezvous had been planned for 2:00 p.m. at the boat launch, a meeting the boater never made. Compounding concerns, relatives confirmed that the boater was not wearing personal flotation device at the time of their disappearance. In a search marred by 4- to 6-foot waves, a drone deployed by responding teams located the unmanned vessel, as reported by NBC Chicago.
Following the initial effort, the Lake Forest Fire Department enlisted the aid of both the U.S. Coast Guard and neighboring departments from Highland Park and Libertyville in their search. As the situation escalated, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter and boat were brought into the effort to cover a larger area. Upon receiving intelligence of the boater's cell phone pinging near Glencoe Beach, additional forces from Wilmette and Evanston fire departments were dispatched to the scene.
Despite the extensive collaboration and the aid of technological assets, officials had to suspend the search on the water around 5:30 p.m., possibly due to the challenging conditions. Nevertheless, Coast Guard air units continued to scour the area from above. “The water search was suspended,” a statement obtained by CBS News Chicago confirmed, while Coast Guard helicopters maintained the search by air into the later hours of the day.
