Man jumps in lake to save child, drowns

A Winnetka man died Tuesday after being pulled from Lake Michigan near Centennial Park Beach.

The Cook County medical examiner's office identified the man as 43-year-old Luke Laidley.

Winnetka fire officials said a boat was pulling three or four children on a tube in the water near Centennial Park Beach when one of the kids on the tube fell in the water. Laidley jumped off the boat to rescue that child, but then he went under the water for about a minute.

"Some kids fell in the water, no big deal, off a raft and it sounds like the driver that was pulling around to come pick them back up, one of the children, I think, it looked as if, was having some trouble. The other kids were saying he's having trouble swimming," said witness Amy McCarter.

Others on the boat were able to pull Laidley back in and began CPR on him, fire officials said. The boat was met at the beach by Winnetka first responders, who continued CPR.

Laidley was taken to a hospital in Evanston in serious condition. Fire officials said he died about 4 p.m.