Two Evanston firefighters sustained minor injuries Sunday, Aug. 23, while pulling a man to safety after he became trapped against the breakwall at Lighthouse Beach, the Evanston Fire Department said.

The beach was closed at the time. Signs prohibited swimming, and the National Weather Service had issued a Beach Hazard Statement warning of 3- to 6-foot waves and life-threatening rip currents on Lake Michigan.

Water rescue members reached the man from shore at approximately 4:30 p.m. and stabilized the situation until the department's Marine 21 boat and additional rescue watercraft arrived, according to the Evanston Roundtable. Evanston Fire and Police rescuers then brought the man and the initial rescue team aboard Marine 21 and transported them to the Church Street Boat Ramp for medical evaluation.

The man refused ambulance transportation to an emergency room. His identity has not been released.

The two injured firefighters were transported to Evanston Hospital, where they were treated for minor injuries, according to Patch. The nature of their injuries has not been disclosed.

The rescue involved the Evanston Fire Department, Evanston Police Department and Evanston Parks and Recreation Department. All Evanston water rescue incidents are assisted by the Wilmette and Winnetka fire departments under a joint agreement among the three communities that includes Fireboat 2681, docked at the U.S. Coast Guard Station in Wilmette.

The National Weather Service's Beach Hazard Statement, relayed by the city on Saturday, Aug. 22, had explicitly warned residents not to venture onto piers, jetties, breakwalls or other shoreline structures. The statement remained in effect through Sunday evening.

Swimming is permitted at Evanston's five lakefront beaches only when Evanston Fire Department lifeguards are on duty. The department earned certification from the United States Lifesaving Association in June, making Evanston the only USLA-certified agency in Illinois, according to the department's announcement at the time.

No city review or enforcement action related to the incident has been announced.