A search involving dozens of first responders and the Coast Guard was suspended Friday afternoon, prompted by the discovery of an abandoned kayak and life preserver on Lake Michigan near Winthrop Harbor.
The Winthrop Harbor Fire Department and Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin Fire and Rescue Department responded around 10:22 a.m. Friday to the North Point Marina, 701 North Point Drive in Winthrop Harbor, for a report of a water rescue.
Winthrop Harbor Fire Chief Rocco Campanella said that the fire department was called by the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan after a fishing charter boat located an abandoned kayak approximately two miles offshore on Lake Michigan.
“Coast Guard advised Winthrop Harbor Fire Department this should be treated as a search and rescue because a life jacket was observed hanging off the side of the kayak,” Campanella said.
The Coast Guard dispatched two helicopters and water assets from their Milwaukee station for search and rescue operations.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit also responded to the call.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said an active search was underway to see if anyone was in distress in the water.
The fire department response was eventually upgraded through the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS).
The MABAS upgrade resulted in boats, divers and sonar technicians from fire departments throughout Lake, McHenry and Kenosha counties being sent to the scene.
Covelli said around 12:30 p.m. that the search remained ongoing in the area where the kayak and life vest were found.
No one had been located and there were not any reports of missing people, Covelli said.
“We are also checking with local marinas to see if it’s possible a kayak went adrift from their shore or docking area,” Covelli added.
“The search with Side Scan lasted about 2 hours until conditions deteriorated to the point it was unsafe to be on Lake Michigan with our rescue boats,” Campanella said.
Crews also searched the local shorelines in Zion, Beach Park and Pleasant Prairie.
The search was called off at around 2 p.m. Friday after no evidence was found of anyone missing or in distress.
“Should that change we will resume search operations,” Covelli said.
Authorities believe the empty kayak went adrift from shore somewhere.
Campanella said that operators should put labels on their small vessels, like kayaks, that include the owner’s name, phone number and an emergency contact.
“Labels such as this will help first responders determine if an emergency exists or not,” Campanella said.