Firefighter Drowns in Lake Michigan

(CHICAGO) — An off-duty firefighter was at the lakefront with his family after his work shift when he went under the water and did not resurface, the Chicago Fire Department said in a statement.

Crews pulled Wilbert Hayes from the water, who was in critical condition. He was rushed to the University of Chicago Medical Center where he died. He had been on the job since 2009.

“While this incident did occur off duty after his shift, we are conducting a full investigation to determine the status of this tragic loss,” Fire Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt said in a statement.

So far this year, 48 people have drowned in the Great Lakes, 20 of them in Lake Michigan.

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