Local fire chiefs held a press conference pleading for funding for their departments while also warning the public on the danger of Lake Michigan after a young man drowned while swimming near Zion.
The Beach Park Fire Department, Winthrop Harbor Fire Department and Zion Fire Rescue Department held a joint press conference on Monday morning to discuss water safety on Lake Michigan and the need for “critical funding” for their departments.
The press conference was held at the Illinois Beach State Park, a common location for water rescues.
Fire officials discussed the growing dangers along the Lake Michigan shoreline in the wake of a young man’s drowning death that occurred last week.
They also said that with the newly restored beachfront drawing thousands of visitors, emergency responders continue to face increasing risks and call volume without the state or federal funding needed to support their operations.
Winthrop Harbor Fire Chief Rocco Campanella said that the state’s $73 million investment in Lake Michigan beaches and shoreline stabilization resulted in making the area “truly beautiful,” while failing to provide a single cent for public safety.
“We’re expected to respond to drownings, boating accidents, and water emergencies with outdated equipment, limited training, and inadequate staffing,” Campanella said.
Campanella is asking for $750,000 for a new rescue boat capable of handling waves over two feet, $150,000 for training fire personnel on modern rescue standards and $150,000 for seasonal staffing to patrol the beaches at peak times.
“Right now, we’re relying on a 24-foot boat built in 1985, purchased through local fundraisers. That’s unacceptable for a department responsible for the closest marina and thousands of lives on the water,” he said.
Zion Fire Rescue Department Chief Justin Stried said his agency, along with Beach Park and Winthrop Harbor, routinely respond together to water incidents between the Wisconsin-Illinois state line to the south end of the Illinois Beach State Park.
Stried said that three swimmers, ages 15, 20 and 26, have drowned in Lake Michigan in the area since July 2024.
“There have been a number of other close calls, and dozens more deaths in this 6.5 mile stretch of Illinois Beach State Park shore over the past two decades,” Stried said.
The fire chief said that local municipalities do not have the liability or jurisdiction to respond to rescues on Lake Michigan but do so anyway.
Beach Park Fire Chief Tom Stahl said that from 2015 to 2024, the Illinois Beach State Park saw an increase of 800,000 annual visitors for a total of over two million annual visitors, making it the second most visited state park in Illinois.
“But while the number of visitors has soared, the resources to keep them safe have not kept pace,” Stahl said.
Stahl said the three fire departments, along with Newport and Pleasant Prairie, respond together to water emergencies and train together.
“But even with strong cooperation, time is our greatest enemy. When someone is in distress in the water, every second counts. MABAS teams from Divisions 4, 5, and 101 respond with urgency and purpose—but travel and deployment time is a reality we can’t ignore. Tragically, that time gap can mean the difference between life and death,” he said.
The Beach Park, Winthrop Harbor and Zion fire departments have come together to jointly purchase two jet skis to be able to deploy quicker on the water.
“Trained personnel from across our departments will use these watercraft to reach victims more quickly and improve outcomes. We’ve also engaged dive and swift water rescue experts to help develop a robust surface water rescue program to further enhance life-saving efforts,” Stahl said.
Stahl added that while the fire departments are doing everything they can with the limited resources, they need support and funding that matches the growth of the state park.
Last week, the Winthrop Harbor Fire Department and Zion Fire and Rescue Department responded around 6:26 p.m. Tuesday to the Illinois Beach State Park in unincorporated Zion for a water rescue.
Zion Fire and Rescue Department Deputy Chief Eric Troy said a swimmer had gone underwater on Lake Michigan and did not resurface at the North Unit beach.
Campanella said he arrived at the scene first and bystanders, including an off-duty firefighter, directed first responders to the area of the missing swimmer.
Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek identified the swimmer as Luis Espinoza Contreras, 20, of Waukegan.
Troy said the response was upgraded through the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) to the box alarm level to bring additional resources to the scene from surrounding fire departments in Lake and Kenosha counties.
Water conditions were calm with light winds and it was deemed safe enough for a rescue attempt, Campanella said, adding that crews had identified an accurate last seen point.
A Winthrop Harbor fire diver was deployed and a Winthrop Harbor fire boat arrived.
The diver located Espinoza Contreras approximately 10 feet below the water surface and brought the victim to the fire boat.
Campanella said Espinoza Contreras was brought to paramedics on shore where advanced life support was initiated on the beach.
An ambulance rushed him to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan in critical condition. Espinoza Contreras was later pronounced dead in the emergency room.
An autopsy performed Wednesday on Espinoza Contreras showed his death was consistent with drowning, Banek said.
Troy said that while the recent restoration of the Illinois Beach State Park has created an attractive and inviting shoreline, the lake can be “deceptively dangerous,” even on calm days.
“Swimmers are urged to exercise extreme caution, as hazardous currents may be present even when not visibly apparent. Use of personal flotation devices is strongly recommended for all individuals entering the water,” he added.