Franklin Man, Milwaukee Woman Die In Lake Michigan Swim Incident

OZAUKEE COUNTY, WI — Authorities in Ozaukee County are reporting that two people are dead after an Aug. 20 swimming incident on Lake Michigan left one person missing and the other seriously injured.

According to the Ozaukee County Sheriff's Office, on Aug. 20, just after 1 p.m., officials received a 911 call from a citizen at Harrington Beach State Park located in the Town of Belgium.

Authorities were told that five people entered Lake Michigan to swim. Four of the people reportedly exited the lake: three with no injuries and one with life-threatening injuries.

Authorities say that the injured person, a woman in her 30s, was taken to a local hospital. One person was originally listed as missing. The missing person was described as a white man in his 30s, wearing blue and orange-colored swim trunks.

Search efforts included the U.S. Coast Guard, Ozaukee County Rescue Boat, Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Office Rescue Boat, Flight For Life, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, DNR, Cedarburg/Mequon/Port Dive Teams, and Belgium/Fredonia/Cedar Grove EMS, assisting.

On Tuesday, the man was identified as 34-year-old as Ahmad Z. Adl of Franklin. Adl has not been located, and search efforts are continuing as of Tuesday afternoon. The woman who was seriously injured was identified as 32-year-old Paige C. Berndt of Milwaukee. Authorities say Berndt died late Monday evening as a result of her injuries sustained from the incident.

Swim Advisory Through Wednesday

Life-threatening waves and currents have caused the National Weather Service to issue a swim advisory for Lake Michigan that runs through Wednesday. The dangerous conditions also have forced many area beaches to place swimming bans or advisories on many of its beaches Tuesday.

Beaches from Sheboygan to Kenosha are affected. Beaches with
particularly dangerous conditions include:

• Blue Harbor Beach in Sheboygan
• North Beach in Port Washington
• South Beach in Port Washington
• Harrington State Park Beaches
• Atwater Beach in Milwaukee
• Bradford Beach in Milwaukee
• North Beach in Racine
• Zoo Beach in Racine
• Sam Myers Beach in Racine
• Wind Point Lighthouse Beach in Racine
• Eichelman Beach in Kenosha
• Southport Park Beach in Kenosha

Hazards

Structural currents form along piers where longshore currents and wave action flow into the structure. Structural currents can sweep you out into deeper water along the pier structure.

A Longshore current is a lake current that moves parallel to shore. Longshore currents can be strong enough to prevent swimmers from being able to keep their feet on the bottom, making it difficult to return to shore.

Rip currents are powerful channels of water flowing quickly away from shore, which occur most often at low spots or breaks in sandbars. Rip currents can sweep you into deeper water.

Waves could reach as high as 8 feet, and water spouts and strong rip currents that could pull swimmers into deeper water are possible, the weather services warning states. According to the agency, rip currents are powerful channels of water flowing quickly away from shore, and they happen most often at low spots or breaks in sandbars.

Along with warning swimmers to keep out of the water, the weather service also is urging people to stay away from break walls and piers. Structural currents form along piers where longshore currents and wave action flow into the structure, and like rip currents, they can pull water into deeper water along the pier, the agency said.

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