Rahem Mason, a 17-year-old from South Bend, Indiana, was swimming in the area of Washington Park in Michigan City around 7:10 p.m. when he went under the water and didn't resurface, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. There were no life guards on duty at the time, and there was a no swim advisory in place because of dangerous swimming conditions.
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The National Weather Service issued a Beach Hazard Statement for Lake Michigan beaches and shoreline Sunday. The warning was in effect until Sunday, 10 p.m. in Illinois and Monday, 5 a.m. in Indiana, prompting scuba divers to call off the water search and continue to search from shore.
On Monday morning, an aerial search was conducted utilizing a drone. Sonar could not be used and divers were still unable to enter the water, according to authorities. They intend to use sonar and divers to search on Tuesday, conditions permitting.
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The dangerous conditions developed Saturday afternoon as a cool front dropped south and winds shifted to the northeast from Waukegan south through Chicago and Gary, Indiana. This allowed waves to build from 3 to 6 feet as they crashed on beaches. Still, emergency responders immediately began searching upon arriving to the scene, including using boats and a helicopter deployed by the U.S. Coast Guard, authorities said.
Wave size and strength are driven by wind speed and the distance the wind travels over Lake Michigan.