Authorities: report of a missing swimmer, probably a false alarm

The Evanston Fire and Police Departments responded Monday afternoon to a call from a Greenwood Beach lifeguard reporting a swimmer lost in the water, but searches turned up nothing and authorities say that it is unlikely that a swimmer is missing.

According to their account on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Evanston Police Department received the first call from rescuers on duty at 3:15 p.m. The police closed the beach.

“All swimming beaches in Evanston are closed at this time due to a water investigation. Please note that there are heavy fires and a police presence at Lee Street Beach, Dempster Street Beach and Church Street Beach. Stay tuned for more information and updates,” the initial post read.

Responders concluded the search shortly after 6 p.m. after no evidence of a missing swimmer was found.

“At this time, all credible evidence from sources indicates that there are no swimmers missing,” the Evanston Fire Department said in a news release.

“The lifeguards on scene had seen someone swimming,” said Kim Kull, Evanston Fire Division Chief. “They thought they couldn’t see them anymore. They thought they were underwater, submerged.

The swimmer in question was seen 75 meters from the shore, according to the fire department's press release. Marked swimming areas extend approximately 50 feet from shore.

“We used all available resources to conduct a very effective search, and we are happy to report that we found no one,” Kull said.