Emergency responders were called to the lakefront near 70 Arts Circle Drive at approximately 7 a.m. after a caller reported seeing someone in the water. Evanston police and firefighters arrived and found an unresponsive woman near Northwestern’s southern lakefill area. Rescue personnel brought her out of the water and attempted CPR before transporting her by rescue boat to a waiting ambulance. She was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Authorities later identified the student as Saba Hani Alkaabi, 19, who was not from the Evanston area. The circumstances that led to her being in Lake Michigan remained under investigation in the initial reports. Police said foul play was not suspected and confirmed that there was no known danger to the Northwestern or Evanston communities.
Although some headlines have described the incident as a suicide, authorities have not publicly confirmed that characterization in the reports reviewed. The cause and circumstances of Alkaabi’s death should therefore not be assumed. Northwestern University expressed condolences to her family and friends and said support services were being made available to members of the campus community affected by the loss.
Alkaabi’s death is a heartbreaking loss for those who knew her and a painful moment for the wider university community. As family, friends, and fellow students process the news, many will be hoping for answers and a chance to remember her with compassion and respect. For now, the investigation continues, and further details about her life and the circumstances of her death await confirmation from appropriate authorities.
