Rescue search suspended after man falls from boat in Chicago's 'Playpen'

CHICAGO (CBS)– First responders have suspended their rescue search for a missing boater in the park near Navy Pier in Chicago, saying instead that any further search would be a recovery effort.

People enjoyed the nice weather at the Playpen on Saturday, but first responders were called to the scene for more than one emergency, one of which seemed to end in tragedy.

Chicago police said that around 4:20 p.m., a man in his 50s fell off a boat and into the water. He never came back to the surface. There were few other details.

Firefighters were also called to the park for a boat fire, and first responders sent a tugboat to a stranded boat on North Island near the Adler Planetarium.

Police said they could not provide more information about the missing man, but firefighters said they searched the water for an hour without success. After switching their operations to recovery mode, they ended the day without any sight of the missing boater.

Police continued to search for the missing man on Sunday.

What is the park?

The park is located between Oak Street Beach and Navy Pier and is popular with boaters in the summer. A brick wall helps keep the waters calm while providing a backdrop to the Chicago skyline.

Past incidents at the park

Over the past few years, numerous incidents have occurred at the park.

On August 15, 2022, a woman was supposed to have she had both legs amputated after a boat propeller in the enclosure, she cut off his feet. A second woman was also injured in the accident.

A few days later, another a person has disappeared after falling in the park. One person was pulled from the water, but the search for a second person was suspended.

Last September, a swimmer who entered the water and did not resurface, he was rescued and taken to hospital.

CBS 2 reached out to a man on social media who may be the owner of the boat but has not yet received a response.