2 Teens Rescued From Lake; Rip Currents A Danger This Weekend
CHICAGO (STMW) -- Two teenage swimmers in distress were rescued from Lake Michigan after emergency crews responded Saturday morning in the North Side Rogers Park neighborhood.
Firefighters responded at 6:50 a.m. to a report of two people struggling in the water at 1115 W. Lunt Ave., police News Affairs Officer Laura Kubiak said.
When police Marine Patrol officers arrived one person had been pulled out of the water by firefighters, Kubiak said. Two divers searched for the second person, who firefighters pulled from the water at 7:25 a.m., Kubiak said.
The two swimmers, both 17 years old, were taken in good condition to Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston, Fire Media Affairs said.
The National Weather Service says there is an increased risk of rip currents along the lake in Cook and Lake (Ill.) counties through Sunday evening. There is a moderate risk of rip currents throughout that time, according to the weather service.
Rip currents are powerful channels of water flowing quickly away from shore. The weather service advises swimmers to heed the advice of lifeguards and the beach patrol and pay attention to flags and posted signs.
If you become caught in a rip current, do not panic, the weather service says. Remain calm and begin to swim parallel to shore. Once you are away from the force of the rip current begin to swim back to the beach. Do not try to swim directly against a rip current, since even a strong swimmer can become exhausted quickly.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2012. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
