Crews still trying to locate man’s body in Antioch lake

Authorities on Friday called off the second day of searching for a 62-year-old man who is missing in Loon Lake near Antioch.

Dive teams spent about nine hours Friday in the lake, located near the intersection of Route 83 and Grass Lake Road, using side-scan sonar equipment in what has been classified a “recovery” operation. The search was suspended around 2:30 p.m. Friday, but crews will be back to the lake Saturday morning and possibly in the evening, according to Deputy Chief Chris Lienhardt of the Antioch Fire Protection District.

“We’ll be there over the weekend until we can bring this to a closure,” Lienhardt said. “We’re searching the best we can. Part of the problem you run into in the lake is the weed density. Sonar is only so effective.”

The unidentified 62-year-old victim and a second 69-year-old man were out on a pontoon on the lake Thursday afternoon, when, sometime after 1:15 p.m., the 62-year-old went out for a swim. Authorities said the man struggled to get back on the boat and that his friend jumped in to assist but also struggled to get back onboard.

A passing boater saw the men and was able to rescue the 69-year-old, but the other man went under, authorities said.

Dive crews searched for nearly six hours Thursday before calling off the effort as darkness approached.

The man’s name was still being withheld Friday by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.