Sheriff's Marine Unit Rescues Teens Adrift in Lake Michigan

Authorities say disaster was averted when two teenage paddle boarders adrift in Lake Michigan were rescued Wednesday afternoon by the Lake County Sheriff's Office marine unit.

The unit was on patrol around 1:30 p.m. when a Lake Bluff girl and a Wauconda boy, both 16, were spotted about a mile from shore, according to Sheriff's Chief Deputy Chris Covelli.

Lake County Sheriff John D. Idleburg receives a briefing from Marine Unit Sgt. Ari Briskman on a new ship used to patrol Lake Michigan.
Courtesy of the Lake County Sheriff's Office

The two men were unable to overcome the wind and lake current that were carrying them away from the shore and toward the center of the lake, he said. Neither was wearing a life jacket and had a telephone or any other type of communication or emergency device.

“Without a life jacket, without emergency equipment, without a way to call for help, this could have ended in disaster,” Covelli said.

Officers pulled the teens from the water and were able to recover their paddleboards. Neither was injured and they were reunited with their families at Lake Forest Marina.

After 6 years, Lake County Sheriff's Marine Unit resumes patrols on Lake Michigan

In cases like this, people are often only reported missing when they don't return home for several hours, Covelli noted.

“It would have resulted in a large search and rescue mission, but with all the variables to consider regarding Lake Michigan, it would have been like trying to find a needle in a haystack,” he said. added.

The shutdown comes less than a week after Sheriff John D. Idleburg announced that the sheriff's marine unit had resumed patrols on Lake Michigan.

According to the sheriff's office, in recent years the marine unit has been unable to patrol or respond to calls on the more than 900 square miles of Lake Michigan under its jurisdiction because it did not have a boat capable of operating on the lake in complete safety.

The Lake County Council authorized the purchase of two marine patrol boats this spring. The other is used on the Chain 'O Lakes.