The search is expected to continue Tuesday morning for a man who fell into Lake Michigan while walking with a group on shelf ice in northwest Indiana, according to authorities.
Search efforts began after 5:30 p.m. Monday, when five people were walking on shelf ice at Indiana Dunes National Park's West Beach amid waves crashing against the ice. Ice cracking then occurred, according to Officer Nicole Baumann with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and a man fell in.
Others in the group tried to rescue the victim, a 22-year-old man from northwest Indiana, but the large waves and unstable ice hindered their efforts, authorities said.
A helicopter with the Lake County Sheriff's Department was searching the waters for any signs of the individual late Monday.
However, conditions were deemed too dangerous for divers to enter the water, authorities said, forcing law enforcement to postpone their search until daylight Tuesday.
One day earlier, the Indiana DNR Law Enforcement posted on Facebook about the dangers of shelf ice along Lake Michigan's shoreline, explaining officers encountered multiple walking on the ice that day.
Due to the way shelf ice forms, it is full of air pockets and weak spots, the DNR explained. As the temperatures begin to climb, the shelf ice will only get more dangerous.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
