Chicagoans soak up last summer day amid hazardous beach conditions

CHICAGO - Hazardous conditions did little to keep people out of Lake Michigan on the last official day of summer.

A red flag was flying at more than a dozen Chicago beaches Monday.

The National Weather Service issued a beach hazard statement, warning of high waves, riptides, and potentially life-threatening conditions. Yet several swimmers made their way into the water at Oak Street Beach hoping to soak up the last blast of summer.

When Chicago beaches close tomorrow, there will be no more lifeguards on duty but that won’t stop people from enjoying the lakefront jogging path. 

One woman told us her favorite season, autumn, is only just beginning.

"Changing colors and everything. It’s cooler, you’re not sweating. It’s just Zen I guess that’s how you’d put it," she said. 

But as another swim season came to an end, another man said he made the most of summer and he won’t be returning to the lakefront until he can return to the water.