SWAT officers rescued a young man after he slipped and fell into icy Lake Michigan on Saturday — and the Chicago Police Department captured a video of their heroic efforts.
The individual, who the police department confirmed was a 22-year-old man in an email to AccuWeather, was transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition. The rescue video, which was shared by Chicago Police Department Sunday on Facebook and Twitter, now has over 50,000 views on Facebook, and a shortened version has been viewed 18,000 times on Twitter.
The incident occurred at approximately 7:00 a.m. after the police received a report that someone had fallen into the icy water.
The man’s face is blurred in the video, and his identity has not yet been made public. Police say the rescue occurred near the 600 block of N Lake Shore Drive.
According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Paul Walker, the temperature on Saturday was around 17 degrees Fahrenheit, which he said was “several degrees colder than normal.” The AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperature was 2 to 4 F, Walker said.
He said the water temperature in Lake Michigan was between 32 and 34 F.
The temperature on Valentine’s Day morning plunged to its lowest level for the holiday since 1943. Walker confirmed the low on Friday morning was minus 2 F, just one degree shy of the minus 3 F recorded on Feb. 14, 1943, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
On Friday, the temperature reached a high of 15 F, making it the coldest day of the winter season so far.
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In the full video, which is nearly 10 minutes long, the man can be seen slipping on the ice next to the lake before getting up and continuing to walk along the edge of the water. He walks out of frame before the fall, so it is unclear how the fall happened.
A pair of CPD SWAT officers rescued an individual who had fallen into Lake Michigan near the 600 block of N Lake Shore Drive on the morning of Feb. 15. The individual was transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition.
FULL VIDEO: https://t.co/zyGkbMQVRc pic.twitter.com/fo8cJWZ4WM
— Chicago Police (@Chicago_Police) February 16, 2020
A jogger, who can be seen on the sidewalk along the lake, witnessed the man falling into the water and attempted to flag down a car. After no cars stop, the jogger runs across the busy road in what appears to be an attempt to find help.
The video then shows local authorities arrive, with vehicles labeled Scuba Team, Chicago Police Marine Unit and a fire truck.
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SWAT officers arrived on the scene after receiving a report of a person falling into the icy water. (Chicago Police Department) |
While the man who fell waited for authorities to rescue him, he could be seen moving his arms to keep above water while surrounded by sheets of ice.
SWAT officers are then shown on the scene jumping over a barrier between the road and the sidewalk to reach the man, eventually pulling him out of the freezing lake. It took two officers to pull the man out.
“A special thank you also goes out to the individual who looked out for their fellow Chicagoan and flagged down assistance from our first responder community,” Chicago Police Department posted to Facebook. “As always, if you see something, say something.”
The Chicago Police do not have any updates on the condition of the man who fell, a representative said, adding that police officers were not able to speak with the man at the scene to gather details about how the fall occurred.
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