Rescue divers called for man seen on Lake Michigan off Lake Bluff

Lake Bluff officials are still searching for a man who might have fallen into Lake Michigan early Tuesday - they just aren't searching in the water anymore.

Ryan Waller, Lake Bluff assistant village administrator, said divers have stopped a water search for the man who was seen falling into the lake at Sunrise Beach, at Scranton and Sunrise avenues, at about 7:22 a.m. Tuesday.

He said police are now searching for the man on land, thinking he might have crawled out of the water and walked away unnoticed.

Divers and rescue personnel armed with sonar searched Lake Michigan for four hours for any sign of the man.

The water search was halted at 12:15 p.m. Tuesday, Waller said.

A witness saw a man slip into the water while walking a dog on the shoreline, Waller said.

The witness called out to see if the man needed help, Waller said, and the man told him to call 911.

The witness - who didn't have a cell phone - left for about 10 minutes to call for help, then returned to the shoreline, Waller said.

However, the man and the dog were not there, Waller said.

"Divers and rescue workers searched the water in an area equal to about four football fields, but he was not discovered," Waller said.

He added a Coast Guard rescue helicopter also searched the area.

The investigation has been handed off to the Lake Bluff Police Department to determine who may have fallen in.

Waller said the police department is using its automated call system to call residents looking for the man, and that the police department has not received any missing persons reports Tuesday.

"It still remains a mystery and we are still searching for the person," Waller said.

He said anyone with information about the man is urged to contact the Lake Bluff Fire Department nonemergency line at (847) 234-2153.