A man died after jumping into Lake Michigan Monday afternoon to try and save his nephew, his family said.
James Hammond, 31, was pulled from the water near 63rd St. Beach on Chicago’s South Side, his family and fire officials said.
Authorities said Hammond was on a boat with his 7-year-old niece, his niece’s friend and his 11-year-old nephew when the boy fell into the water around 1 p.m.
Hammond "went in and went under" to rescue the boy, who was wearing a life jacket, fire officials said. Hammond was not wearing one at the time, family said.
Rescue crews first found the child, who was taken to Comer Children's Hospital in good condition, according to fire officials.
Hammond was pulled from the water and taken in “extremely critical condition” to an area hospital, where he later died, according to his family.
Witness Charles Marks was hanging out on the beach when he heard an emergency whistle and saw the lifeguards on duty spring into action.
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“Two of the lifeguards jumped in the boat and pushed out and started rowing to him,” Marks said. “As we looked in the distance we saw a young man floating, he had a life vest on, so he went and got him. When they brought him back in, the girl said, ‘No my uncle, my uncle's still out there.’”
In a panic on the boat, the girl called her father, Michael David Hammond, who rushed to the beach as soon as he heard.
“She was real frantic, saying she was on a boat with her friend,” he said. “Her cousin fell over and my brother went into get him.”
Hammond said his brother was married but had no children himself.
"Ain’t no words, man, I'm not gonna lie to you,” he said. “There’s no words."
63rd St. Beach remained closed for several hours following the incident, authorities said.
