Missing Diver's Body Recovered From 160 Feet in Lake Michigan Near Wilmette

The body of a diver who disappeared while exploring a shipwreck in Lake Michigan has been recovered from roughly 160 feet of water, about 20 miles offshore of Chicago near Wilmette, according to the search and recovery team that carried out the operation.

Wisconsin-based Bruce's Legacy Search & Recovery said it was called in to help after the diver, identified in the company's social media post only as Michael, went missing on Saturday, September 5, during a shipwreck diving trip in the lake. The company announced on Monday that its team had located and recovered him.

"After a very difficult search, we were successful in locating and recovering him from approximately 160 feet of water and returning him to his waiting family on shore," the company wrote in a post on social media.

The distance from shore and the depth of the water made the search unusually hard, according to the company. "This search presented some of the most difficult and unusual challenges we have faced," Bruce's Legacy said. "Operating 20 miles offshore in deep water brings an entirely different level of planning, equipment, weather concerns, and safety considerations."

The hardest part of the mission came after the diver was found, the company said. With no local agencies available to assist offshore, the team had to transport the body back to shore itself. "In all the searches and recoveries I have been involved with over the years, I have never had to do that before," the company wrote, adding that there is "a much longer story behind this mission" that it may share later.

Bruce's Legacy credited two volunteers, Brad Chown and Jeff Haubrich, for their work on the recovery. The company also thanked Great Lakes Search and Rescue, the Wilmette Police Department and the Wilmette Fire Department for their help during the search.

Lake Michigan has hundreds of documented shipwrecks, some more than a century old, and divers regularly explore wrecks in deep water off the North Shore near Wilmette. Reaching depths of about 160 feet requires specialized training and equipment, and Bruce's Legacy said recovering a body at that depth required more planning than a typical search, given the distance from shore and the lack of nearby agencies able to assist.

The company closed its post with a message to the diver's family. "Most importantly, our heartfelt condolences go out to Michael's family and friends. At the end of every search, this is what matters most, bringing a loved one home and giving a family the answers they have been waiting for," Bruce's Legacy wrote. "We are grateful that Bruce's Legacy was able to bring this diver home to his family. Rest in peace."

No additional details about the identity of the diver, the specific shipwreck he was exploring, or the circumstances that led to him going missing were released by the company or by local authorities. The Wilmette Police Department and Wilmette Fire Department, both credited with assisting the search, have not issued a separate public statement on the recovery.