Area emergency responders say the popular Illinois Beach State Park has seen an increase in water emergencies and drownings since the completion of a multi-million-dollar beach restoration project, repeatedly calling for additional state support that they say has yet to materialize.
The restoration included the installation of stone breakwaters meant to protect the shoreline from severe erosion, while also creating new habitat for threatened species and potentially rejuvenating area communities.
But the subsequent increase in park attendance led to a rise in water emergency calls, and after a spate of drownings last summer, including the death of a 14-year-old boy, local fire officials repeated calls for support. They said an application for a federal grant to purchase a new rescue boat had been denied despite a seemingly identical request being approved for Highland Park.
The ongoing issue of increased water emergency statistics along the beach, and unanswered questions about the denied grant request, made it one of the Lake County News-Sun’s Top Stories of 2025.
Winthrop Harbor Fire Chief Rocco Campanella has been vocal in his frustrations. Previously, he lamented that “not one cent” of the restoration’s $73 million budget went to addressing increases in water incidents that have strained the resources of the area’s smaller communities.
Area departments lack the equipment for the work, Campanella has said, and the nearest Coast Guard station is in Kenosha, Wisconsin, which is a 25-minute boat ride away and has reduced hours.
The park has experienced substantial increases in annual visitors, with more than 2 million 2024, compared to 1.2 million in 2015, according to statistics from Beach Park Fire Department Chief Tom Stahl.
As 2025 draws to a close, Campanella said the situation remains unchanged.
“We have little to no help from the state, and we continue to do what we can do,” he said.
Campanella said he expects the beaches to continue to be popular once warm weather returns.
“With more visitors, more problems show up,” he said. “I don’t discourage people from going to the beach, but it’s natural when the numbers go up, the number of problems or emergencies go up.”
FEMA grant denied
Winthrop Harbor previously attempted to apply for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Port Security Grant, meant to enhance security at ports and other maritime facilities.
Last year, the grant program provided about $90 million to applicants across the country, including about $470,000 to Highland Park, which, according to city documents, was used to help pay for a $663,000 Metal Shark 29 Defiant Fire-Rescue vessel.
Winthrop Harbor’s request was for about $430,000 in federal funding to help pay for a $509,000 vessel and $50,000 in training, according to the fire department’s application. Department officials previously said their current vessel, built in the 1980s, is not suited for the necessary work.
The request seemingly enjoyed area, state and federal support, including letters from area fire chiefs, state legislators, and an Illinois Department of Natural Resources official who said the area emergency responders were going to need resources to address increased pressure caused by the beach restoration project.
But while Highland Park’s request was approved, Winthrop Harbor’s was denied, with an explanation difficult to come by as federal agencies pointed fingers at one another.
When asked about the discrepancy, a FEMA representative said that was something for the Coast Guard to address. However, Coast Guard officials were adamant that FEMA makes the ultimate decision, and that FEMA’s choices may differ from the Coast Guard’s recommendations.
Whether that was the case for Highland Park and Winthrop Harbor was unclear.
Previously, Port Security Specialist Tom Lake with the Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan said his office oversees its participation in FEMA’s grant program, done through an extensive field review of all applicants and their requests by a team of officials. The scores and rankings are then sent to FEMA.
In response to questions about whether Winthrop Harbor received a favorable ranking during the review, or was ranked above or below Highland Park, Lake said limited information regarding the Coast Guard’s review can only be shared with the applicant.
Campanella said Winthrop Harbor did not put in an application with FEMA this time around because the pay-match requirement was too high. Area stakeholders will meet in January to begin planning for the upcoming beach season, he said.
