Father of 2 missing after jumping into Lake Michigan, reports say. ‘He’s out there’
A 38-year-old father of two is missing after jumping off a boat into Lake Michigan, according to Illinois news reports.
Loved ones say Bryan Jackson has been missing since 7 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 5, after he jumped into the lake off the Chicago shore, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. He entered the water with a woman, and she was rescued about 15 minutes later, according to the Sun-Times.
The Chicago Police Department, Chicago Fire Department and U.S. Coast Guard are all reportedly involved in the search for Jackson, but Tanya Lozano-Washington, who has two children with Jackson, said it is now considered a recovery mission.
McClatchy News reached out to Chicago Police Department for a comment on Sept. 7 and is awaiting a response.
WGN reported the Coast Guard looked for Jackson for an hour Wednesday before suspending the search.
“That’s unfair; we haven’t even been looking for this man for 48 hours,” Lozano-Washington told WLS. “He’s an athlete, he could very well have survived this. He could very well be somewhere, maybe even unconscious.”
Jackson works as a master trainer at Nike and the Jordan Brand. According to his LinkedIn, he “specializes in sports performances and corporate wellness” working with professional sports teams in Chicago.
His girlfriend, Sarah Virani, told WBBM that Jackson is the “most mentally and physically strong person” she knows.
“I know he’s out there waiting for us,” she told the station.
The Sun-Times reported Jackson’s children are 10 and 6 years old.
There have been 37 drownings this year in Lake Michigan, according to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project. The group recorded at least 100 drownings in the lake in each of the previous three years.
“There needs to be an investigation. We want a thorough investigation,” Lozano-Washington told WLS. “Not just he drowned and forget it, and now it’s just a recovery.”
WBBM reported search efforts are continuing Thursday.
This story was originally published September 7, 2023 at 10:16 AM with the headline "Father of 2 missing after jumping into Lake Michigan, reports say. ‘He’s out there’."