The search was called off on Tuesday afternoon due to rough surf conditions, but was expected to resume at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, the Winnetka fire chief said.
Fire officials said they were at 299 Sheridan Road, near Elder Lane Beach, shortly after 2 a.m. Tuesday, searching for the man in his 20s in Lake Michigan.
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Winnetka Fire Chief John Ripka said the search was considered a recovery mission as of about 6 a.m. Tuesday
Three men had jumped off a pier in the area, and only two resurfaced from the water. The friends tried to throw the third man a life ring before calling 911, officials said.
Chicago officials issued a beach hazard statement until 10 p.m. Tuesday for high waves and dangerous currents. Six- to 9-foot waves were expected.
"There's a beach and a pier, and they were reportedly, they were jumping off the pier, about 4 or 5 feet deep. Again the waves and current, there are beach alerts out. Unfortunately, maybe the undertow pulled them under. He didn't resurface," Ripka said.
Fire officials said due to the choppy conditions in the water, their search had been mainly limited to the shore.
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"Winnetka, Wilmette, Glencoe, Northfield fire departments immediately started search from the shore," Ripka said. "We were unable to launch a boat due to the wave conditions, which were about 8 feet and have since gotten worse, maybe 8 to 10 now. So, we did a shore search. We called the Coast Guard. They initially couldn't launch a helicopter 'cause of wind, but eventually they were able to do so, about an hour later. So they are now conducting a search with a Coast Guard boat and helicopter with negative results so far."
The man's family said he had gone to the beach after work with some friends, and police found clothing during their search.
One family member said it's not clear why no one stopped the man from going in the water.
Access to Elder Park Beach was closed Tuesday morning.
This is at least the 24th drowning to take place in Lake Michigan so far this year.