Lake County Gazette

The Lake County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit will resume patrolling Lake Michigan waters in Lake County with a new Fluid Watercraft Inflatable Patrol Boat. The Sheriff's Office has been unable to patrol since 2018 when an outdated patrol boat was retired due to mechanical and safety issues.

"Adding a sheriff’s office watercraft on Lake Michigan is very significant," Sheriff John Idleburg said, according to a Lake County Sheriff's Office press release. "Response time in an emergency is crucial, and having a sheriff’s boat available will increase the likelihood of lives saved during search and rescue missions. We are grateful for our partnership with North Point Marina and thankful for their assistance in allowing us space to dock our boat."

According to the Lake County Sheriff's Office, Lake County has more than 900 square miles of Lake Michigan water. The Lake County Board earlier this year approved the replacement of the watercraft that was retired.

The new patrol boat has two 225-horsepower engines and can carry 14 passengers, according to the same press release. Marine Unit deputies have operated the watercraft since the start of this year's boating season.

The Sheriff's Office coordinated patrols in an ongoing partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police, according to the press release. Members of the Coast Guard and/or Conservation Police will be able to respond with the Sheriff's Marine Unit to emergencies using the new watercraft. Sheriff's personnel who possess a Coast Guard Captain's License will operate the watercraft.

The boat was named in memory of fallen Sheriff's Deputy Gary D. Murphy, who was killed in the line of duty in June 1976, according to another statement from the Sheriff’s Office. The watercraft is stored in a secure dock at North Point Marina in Winthrop Harbor thanks to an in-kind contribution.