A man has died after trying to save his 11-year-old daughter who slipped and fell into Lake Michigan, Illinois.
Rene Padilla, 35, of Blue Island, jumped into Lake Michigan on Aug. 22 after seeing his daughter fall off a breakwall into the water near 31st Street Beach, the Chicago Sun Times reported. A high wave had caused her to slip, according to WTKR.
Padilla struggled to stay afloat after jumping in and was overcome by choppy conditions and strong waves. Fire department officials said he was underwater for about four minutes, WTKR reported.
Witnesses told WGN9 that lifeguards performed CPR on Padilla immediately after they pulled him out of the water. Authorities said that Padilla was in “extremely critical” condition while he was rushed in an ambulance to a Mercy hospital, according to the news station. He died a short time later.
His daughter was also taken to hospital and has since recovered from the ordeal. She is now in good condition, according to multiple reports.
Padilla’s drowning happened shortly before the National Weather Service Chicago sent out a Beach Hazard Statement for the Lake Michigan shoreline.
“Dangerous/life threatening swimming conditions will continue at #LakeMichigan beaches thru early Friday evening, with wave heights 3-6 feet,” the message warned.
“Conditions will improve for Saturday. If visiting a beach, stay out of the water!”
Dangerous/life threatening swimming conditions will continue at #LakeMichigan beaches thru early Friday evening, with wave heights 3-6 feet. Conditions will improve for Saturday. If visiting a beach, stay out of the water!
More info: https://t.co/s526JZS0b4 #ilwx #inwx pic.twitter.com/5zIOkmq4hh
— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) August 22, 2019
The beach hazard statement was later extended to early Aug. 24 for Cook and Lake counties in Illinois.
“Onshore winds continue into IL and will be occasionally breezy resulting in 3 to 5 ft waves into northeast IL this a.m.. The waves continue life threatening rip currents, so a Beach Hazards Statement remains in effect until 11 a.m. for IL beaches,” the latest update from Chicago’s National Weather Service read.
Onshore winds continue into IL and will be occasionally breezy resulting in 3 to 5 ft waves into northeast IL this a.m.. The waves continue life threatening rip currents, so a Beach Hazards Statement remains in effect until 11 a.m. for IL beaches.https://t.co/XGo5hS63VH #ILwx pic.twitter.com/EdBnYUTsOZ
— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) August 24, 2019
Roberto Spagnolo, Padilla’s boss and friend, said that Padilla had requested a rare day off from work to spend with his two daughters, who wanted to go to the beach, according to ABC7.
“I don’t know what the world will be like without him, he was great,” Spagnolo said.
