Search underway for missing swimmer

A woman was still missing off Porter Beach in Lake Michigan as darkness fell Friday night after two of her companions were rescued from high waves. Brock said they’re handling the search “as well as can be expected”.

Conservation officers and other emergency responders were called to the area shortly after 7 p.m.to assist Chase Froese and two other female swimmers who were struggling in the water, the release stated.

Officials are reminding folks that if you get caught in a rip current, swim with it not against it, or you may waste too much energy trying to free yourself. The trio stopped at the beach on their way to Grand Rapids, Mich. There were hundreds of people on the beach when the girls could be seen panicking in the water, officials said. A Remote Operated Vehicle with sonar and video capabilities was used, but the surface and vehicle searches were terminated as lake conditions deteriorated, reported by the release. Conservation Officers will resume their search once conditions become suitable. Porter Beach is located in the Indiana Dunes State Park in Porter, Ind., which is about 50 miles east of Chicago.