A man died after jumping into the water to save children from drowning in Lake Michigan near Centennial Park Beach in Winnetka, 16 miles north of downtown Chicago, Illinois, the Associated Press has reported.
Luke Laidley, 43, was on a boat that had several children on a tube when the tube flipped, throwing the children into the water. All children were reportedly wearing life jackets. Laidley jumped into the water to rescue them, but then went under the water for about a minute, Winnetka fire officials said, according to AP.
Others on the boat pulled Laidley back on and began CPR on him. They were met at the shore by Winnetka first responders who continued CPR. Laidley was then taken to a hospital in Evanston in serious condition, where he passed away around 4 p.m., said a report by ABC7 Chicago.
Laidley, a father of three, was also a 9/11 survivor, according to a statement his family issued to local media. Laidley was working on his second day on the job in the Twin Towers when the attack occurred, the statement said.
More:With summer in full swing, take proper precautions to prevent drownings
Man’s body recovered from Lake Macatawa in Michigan
In a similar incident, a Holland, Michigan-area man drowned while attempting to help children return to a boat in Lake Macatawa in Michigan, The Holland Sentinal has reported.
The incident occurred on the south side of the lake near Kollen Park around 2:30 p.m. when some children fell into the water while tubing behind a pontoon. Though they were wearing life jackets, they began to drift away because of the strong winds driving the current.
A woman and a 63-year-old man on the pontoon went into the water to help. The man, who has not been identified, started to struggle, went underwater, and didn’t resurface.
The woman, who also struggled because of poor water conditions, managed to return to the boat while the children were aided back to the boat by at least one person on a Jet Ski.
Local marine and dive teams, the Holland Department of Public Safety, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Coast Guard — including a helicopter — were called in to look for the man. His body was recovered late Wednesday evening, using side-scan sonar.
Officials have repeatedly reminded boaters to wear life jackets, even if they’re experienced swimmers. They also urged people to throw something to someone in the water rather than jump in themselves.
— Cassandra Lybrink from The Holland Sentinel contributed to this report
