The Chicago Fire Department reported that an off-duty firefighter from Chicago passed away while swimming in Lake Michigan at 31st Street Beach on Sunday morning.
Around 7:30 in the morning, the firefighter dived underwater while swimming with his family along the lakefront, according to Fire Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt. The victim was promptly identified by the crews, who then took him from the water and administered advanced life support.
He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where the Cook County medical examiner’s office and the Fire Department both report that he was declared de@d at 9:07 a.m. Engineer EMT Wilbert Hayes, 43, was the firefighter, according to the Fire Department. Nance-Holt claimed to have started working there in 2009.
ABC 7 Chicago confirms the news on its office Twitter account:
Off-duty firefighter Wilbert Hayes had just ended his shift at work when he joined his family at 31st Street Beach before going underwater. https://t.co/SxCblnCa1x
— ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) July 31, 2023
“The loss of any of our members is a loss for the first responder community and the city as a whole,” said Nance-Holt. While the fireman was off-duty when the incident occurred, she continued, the Fire Department is conducting “a full investigation to determine the status of this tragic loss.”
As Hayes’ body was being taken to the medical examiner’s office on Sunday afternoon, firefighters, police officers, and paramedics led a procession in his honor.
We’ll update you if this news changes. Visit our website Focushillsboro for the latest news on this issue.
- New Hampshire Nurse and Child Kidnapped in Haiti, Nonprofit Says
- Hope Springs Eternal for Snowy Owls at Oregon Zoo
