An off-duty Chicago firefighter died Sunday morning after he was pulled underwater while swimming in Lake Michigan at 31st Street Beach, according to the Chicago Fire Department.
Fire Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt said the firefighter was swimming with his family off the lakefront when he was pulled underwater at around 7:30 a.m. Crews quickly located the man and pulled him out of the water before performing advanced life support.
The 43-year-old was transported to University of Chicago Medical Center where he was pronounced dead, according to CFD. The firefighter’s identity has not been released, but Nance-Holt said he’s been on the job since 2009.
“The loss of any of our members is a loss for the First Responder community and the City as a whole,” Nance-Holt said.
She added that while the incident happened off-duty, CFD is conducting a “a full investigation to determine the status of this tragic loss.”
Firefighters, police officers and paramedics led a procession Sunday afternoon to pay tribute to the man while his body was transported to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.