"Heartbroken:" Family remembers man still missing, woman dead after swimming in Lake Michigan

OZAUKEE COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The search operation for a missing swimmer in Lake Michigan is now being called "a recovery effort" by authorities.

Now, CBS 58 News is learning more about that man, as well as the woman who was pulled from the water that died late Monday night.

The family of 34-year-old Ahmad Adl says he was engaged to be married to 32-year-old Paige Berndt. Their wedding was less than one month away.

They had planned a camping getaway before the big event - driving up to Harrington Beach State Park to camp with a group of friends. Despite rough weather, they entered Lake Michigan on Monday afternoon for a swim, where authorities say the pair were swept away.

On Tuesday it was slightly quieter on the water than on Monday but conditions were still so hazardous that the search was limited to being from the air and the beach.

There has still been no sign of Ahmad Adl.

Paige Berndt was pulled from the water but later died at a local hospital.

"Both my parents are heartbroken. That's their youngest son and he was getting married in September," Mohamed Adl, Ahmad's brother, said.

"You know, he showed me a picture of the ring and he proposed to her and all that. I think that was back in February and he was just excited about it," Mohamed Adl said.

"Just that Saturday I went in and got my measurement for my tuxedo," Mohamed Adl said.

Ahmad came to the U.S. at age six from Syria. He later joined the Army and served with a focus on bio-medical engineering.

Paige Berndt worked as general manager at the Water Street Brewery in Grafton where friends and co-workers say she went above and beyond to be a nice and caring person.

Ahmad's family believes they both knew how to swim, but that no one could have handled the waves that were coming in on Monday.

Ahmad's family also said that they are extremely appreciative of the emergency responders who have been giving them information. They says as the water settles crews may use sonar to survey the bottom of the lake.