Divers practice rescues in Lake Michigan at sunken 19th century cargo ship

Chicago Tribune

26-06-2025

Rather than search through a burning house, firefighters from several area fire departments had to dive into 30 feet of water to a 19th-century cargo ship in Lake Michigan to rescue a victim — in this case a mannequin — during a rescue dive training drill June 18.
The dive drill was conducted by the Evanston Fire Department and included participants from fire departments in Park Ridge, Skokie, Wilmette, Winnetka and Glencoe, according to Evanston Fire Department Field Chief Sean Malloy. All belong to Mutual Aid Box Alarm Division 3, which allows them to assist each other with firefighting, rescues, or other emergencies when needed.
While not every one of those departments serve municipalities with large bodies of water, Malloy said they benefit from having divers that can use skills practiced in the drill. They might need to do rescues in retention ponds and reservoirs, he said, and can also assist neighboring departments who need divers.
'Unfortunately, some of these incidents [needing dive rescues] occur in these smaller little ponds [where] something happens or a car goes in,' Malloy said.
Justin Morris, a 17-year firefighter, paramedic, diver and member of the surface water rescue team for the EFD, said it was the department's first time completing its dive drills on the Wells Burt, a cargo ship that sunk in 1883, and is about three miles east of Evanston and about 30 feet underneath the surface of the water.
'It was the perfect dive,' Morris said, explaining that he also recreationally dives on vacation in Aruba. 'I have never dove [a wreck] here. I've always been in the crummiest waters and stuff, diving in lakes, lagoons and rivers.
'And usually you don't get a day like we had that day,' he continued, saying that even with a bit of overcast the waters of Lake Michigan are clear enough to see in, and that the tides weren't crashing in, which can make it harder for divers to swim in under the surface.
Divers met at the Church Street Boat Ramp in Evanston and took off in zodiac vessels, or small rubber boats, to the site of the Wells Burt.
Teams of two divers took turns descending to the Wells Burt's bow to locate the hidden dummy, communicating with wireless communication devices. On the way up, divers performed a safety stop marked by a rope. Malloy said the Lake Michigan training is unique in comparison to other dive drills in that divers need to carve out time in their rescues to equalize water pressure.
Morris said the wireless communication devices they used are similar to walkie talkies, but specialized for divers and only operable underneath the surface of the water. Divers also train to use rope signals to communicate, Morris said, to be prepared for malfunctions in the communications system, should they arise.
'Things happen. Batteries die, things getting unplugged, but this went perfect,' he said of the dive.
Divers descended into the water wearing dry suits, effectively insulating their bodies from the water.
'Anytime we dive as firefighters, or in the fire service, we consider it a hazardous environment,' Malloy said.
'If you think about it, if you're looking for possibly a victim in let's say a pond — and the car's in the pond — there's gas coming out, fuel and oil — and plus lagoons and stuff are not really the cleanest places anyways, so it's important that we wear our rescue suits,' Morris said.
The rescue drills also teach divers to search for evidence and lost items which can help police investigations, Morris said.
Morris said even 30 feet deep, the waters of Lake Michigan are clear enough to conduct the search, and finding the dummy propped up on the Wells Burt's bow was not exceedingly difficult for him.
Divers did not have a hard time locating the dummy, and to Morris's knowledge did not face excessive difficulties adjusting to the water pressure going up or going down, with some divers needing a safety break as recommended. Morris said his partner needed a moment to adjust his gear on the way down.
Because Morris and his partner were the last to dive, they were able to stay under for longer, about 15 to 20 minutes, and explore the Wells Burt, Morris said. They also brought the dummy back up to the surface using a lift bag, he said.
'It was really neat to see something especially in your own backyard,' Morris said of the Wells Burt. 'I knew it was there. I've driven by it in the boat a million times, but I never got my eyes on it like that before, and got to hang out there. That's what's amazing about Lake Michigan and being here in Evanston, and a lot of the cities here. There's a lot of history that you don't even know about unless you start looking and reading.'
Currently, 17 departments in the northern suburbs, including those mentioned above and Northbrook, Glenview, Lincolnwood, Niles, Morton Grove, Highland Park and others, belong to MABAS Division 3 and assist in mutual aid for public safety reasons.
'[MABAS] is just our way of upgrading or getting extra resources from municipality to municipality for these more or less specialized things or larger fires or anything else. So it's a pre-planned way of getting those resources,' Malloy said.