3 swimmers rescued, 1 missing in Lake Michigan near Evanston

The Evanston Fire Department called off a search hours after a swimmer went missing near Lighthouse Beach on Sunday night, officials said.

First responders arrived at the beach about 4 p.m. after a distress call came in regarding four swimmers who had been struggling in the water, Evanston fire officials said in a Sunday night statement. Before they arrived, a woman and two teen girls were rescued by a community member; one of the teens was taken to a hospital.

A fourth swimmer, a 41-year-old man, was still missing after the Evanston Fire Department — along with support from the Wilmette Fire Department, U.S. Coast Guard and the Chicago Fire Department — used drones, a helicopter and sonar to try to locate him, officials said. The search was called off about 9 p.m. due to the water conditions, officials said, though the “recovery” effort is set to resume in the morning.

A red flag had been up at the beach, signifying no swimming due to high winds and dangerous swimming conditions, officials said.