A tragic incident unfolded at Lighthouse Beach in Evanston, where a 17-year-old Skokie teen drowned Wednesday night under hazardous swimming conditions. The Cook County medical examiner's office identified the teen as Sameer Quadri, and he was pronounced dead after a dramatic rescue attempt that failed to save his life. This event occurred amidst a high swim risk issued by the National Weather Service for Lake Michigan beaches, warning of life-threatening currents, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Reports from NBC Chicago indicate that the incident took place around 8:50 p.m. when Quadri went swimming with friends after dark, with waves reported to be as high as five feet tall. Despite a red flag warning at Evanston beaches indicating, no swimming advisories, the teen along with his friends took to the water in conditions described by officials as "extremely rough."
In response to the emergency, the Evanston Fire Department, neighboring suburbs' teams, drones equipped with infrared technology, and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter were mobilized in an extensive search and rescue operation. Battalion Chief Tim Migon, characterized the search conditions as severe, saying, "I only had two members in the water, and they were getting pushed around pretty good," in a statement obtained by NBC Chicago. The rescue response was further complicated by the nighttime setting with no visibility and the absence of lifeguards on duty.
Quadri was eventually located around 9:27 p.m., roughly 30 yards off the break wall, yet the efforts to revive him on the beach and later at Evanston Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 9:55 p.m., proved futile.
