Dive Teams Will Continue Search Efforts In The Morning
Sunday at 10:47 am Portage Fire Department received a 911 call for 3 people in the water possibly in distress, according to the Portage Fire Department. The first units were on scene at 10:57 am and found one person out of the water safely and two others still missing.
One person, a 15 year old male was seen floating in the water and was pulled from the water with assistance from a bystander at scene on a wave runner. Emergency medical treatment was initiated on The 15 year old and he was transported by a Portage Fire Department ambulance to Porter Regional Hospital in critical condition.
A search was initiated for the third person, an 18 year old male. Members from Portage Fire Department’s Dive Team, Indiana DNR, Porter Fire Department Dive Team and other first responders began searching for the victim. Dive units were assisted by helicopters from the United States Coast Guard and Lake County Sheriffs Unit. Portage Police and several other police agencies assisted as well.
At 3:24 PM the search efforts were postponed due to extremely high waves and hazardous conditions in the water. Search efforts will resume by Portage Fire Department in the morning at approximately 9:00 am.
This call for service was one of 4 that emergency personnel in Porter County responded as of 5:22pm today.
Portage Fire Department would like to caution everyone about the hazards of swimming in Lake Michigan when beach hazard warnings are in place. Those warnings are issued for everyone’s safety and should always be taken seriously and those wanting to enjoy the beach should do so by staying out of the water, the Portage Fire Department stressed.
