New Water Rescue Boat 'Marine 1' Unveiled At Waukegan Harbor

WAUKEGAN, IL — The Waukegan Fire Department unveiled a new water rescue boat Wednesday as part of a partnership with the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Fire Chief George Bridges Jr., Sheriff John Idelburg and Undersheriff Lawrence Oliver collaborated to put together an interagency memorandum of understanding to transfer a 23-foot-long Monark watercraft and trailer from the sheriff's office to the Waukegan Fire Department's fleet.

"I am committed to supporting our local municipal partners and this initiative is a prime example. Our communities benefit when local and county entities work together for the safety of our residents," Idelburg said in a release from the fire department. "I am proud to work with Chief Bridges, Waukegan Fire Department, and the City of Waukegan on supporting their response readiness along the Waukegan lakefront.”

After taking ownership of the boat last month, firefighters installed new state-of-the-art instruments, lighting and mechanical elements with help from the company Bay Marine.

"This is an absolute vital piece of equipment," Bridges said.

With the assistance of Waukegan Port District Harbor Master Joe Seidelmann, the fire department arranged to station the new boat, dubbed "Marine 1," at a boat slip at Waukegan Harbor from the months of March through November.

“This partnership will continue to improve access to the first responders and allow quicker response time during emergency situations on the water," Seidelmann said. "Our goal is aligned with that of all of Waukegan to provide safe access to Lake Michigan for the public to enjoy."

The director of the department's boat team, Chris Kohnke, said the harbor channel is the most common location for emergency water incidents and the site of the last drowning the team has seen.

According to the fire department, Waukegan firefighters have been called to more than 115 watercraft or harbor emergencies at the city's lakefront since 2016.

The port district and fire department also partnered to install the first lakefront ring boy for the city of Waukegan. Witnesses to swimmers in distress may now assist by tossing in a life preserver instead of endangering themselves, according to the fire department.

"Improving our response capability, reaction time, combined with pre-arrival life-saving equipment," the chief said, "provides optimal survivability to all that enjoy our beautiful Waukegan lakefront."