Man Dies After SUV Enters Lake Near Monroe Habor
(STMW) -- A man died after he was pulled from Lake Michigan Friday after his SUV went into the water near Monroe Harbor downtown.
The vehicle went into the lake near Balbo and Lake Shore Drive about 3 p.m., police News Affairs Officer Thomas Sweeney said.
The driver was identified as Randy Brittman, 51, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. Brittman was taken in critical condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He was later pronounced dead at 8:23 p.m., the meidcal examiner's office said.
Witnesses told officials the SUV went in reverse through a fence, down an embankment and into the lake, Fire Media Affairs spokesman Joe Roccasalva said.
Chicago Fire Department divers found the man still inside the SUV, which was located in 15 feet of water about 50 feet away from shore, Roccasalva said.
Brittman was not conscious and was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition, Roccasalva said. Authorities estimate he was submerged for 15 to 20 minutes.
Rescuers faced chilly, 40-degree lake water and visibilities under water of only six inches, Roccasalva said.
No one else was hurt in the incident, authorities said. Crews are working to remove the SUV from the water Friday afternoon.
Authorities are investigating the circumstances leading up to the crash.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2014. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
