Taken by the lake
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MARQUETTE -- One person was reportedly swept into Lake Superior amidst extreme weather conditions Thursday afternoon and had not been found before dark.
Around 2:53 p.m., the Marquette Police Department received a 9-1-1 call “regarding a male subject who had been swept into Lake Superior in the area of Blackrocks at Presque Isle Park in the city of Marquette,” a press release sent in the evening stated.
Witnesses reported that the individual had been washed off Blackrocks and was last seen being pulled southbound out of the cove.
“The area was checked by first responders, but the male could not be located,” the Marquette Police Department stated. “Due to lake conditions, a search on the water was unable to be conducted. A search of the water will be initiated when lake conditions allow.”
Visitors to Blackrocks the same day had shared photos and videos of waves crashing over the cliffs, which under calm conditions stand about 25 feet above the water’s surface.
On Thursday afternoon, half an hour after the 9-1-1 call, the National Weather Service issued a gale warning, predicting north winds between 25 to 30 knots with gusts up to 45 knots.
The City of Marquette closed Presque Isle Park to the public, with barricades placed at the roadway entrances.
The Marquette Police Department “reminds the public to avoid areas near the lake during inclement weather due to hazardous conditions which can change in seconds,” their statement read.
Assisting in the search for the missing individual were Marquette Fire Department, Marquette County Sheriff's Office, Northern Michigan University Police Department, Michigan DNR Conservation, UP Health System – Marquette EMS and the U.S. Coast Guard.
No sign of the man was reported before nightfall.