The man was in a vehicle that was involved in a police chase at about 2 a.m. Friday. That car eventually made it to the sand pit near 35th Street South and Gold, which is not far from South High School and Enterprise Elementary. 

 

Two men remained in the car and were arrested. The driver is believed to have jumped into the lake. A witness reported hearing someone yelling for help from the water. 

 

Fire department divers took turns swimming in the murky water and checking out objects that were indicated by a boat-mounted sonar device. After about two and a half hours, safety concerns prompted the end of the scuba search.

 

Wichita Fire Battalion Chief John Turner said the cold water was a concern, as was debris on the bottom, which includes broken concrete and rusty reinforcement bars. 

 

"We did hit on some debris with our sonar," Turner said. "Unfortunately, we didn't find anybody."

 

A surface search was set to continue with firefighters in boats.