Woman Falls Into Harbor, Uses Belt To Hang Onto Dock Until Help Arrives
CHICAGO (STMW) -- A woman who fell into the icy waters of Belmont Harbor on Sunday morning used her belt to strap herself to a dock before she was saved by a passing jogger who heard her screams for help.
The 30-year-old woman slipped off the boat that houses the Belmont Yacht Club at the northeast end of the harbor about 10:40 a.m., according to Sgt. Ruben Ramirez.
"It was pretty incredible because she missed all the surrounding ice and hit the water right on target," Ramirez said.
"She took off her belt, lashed it to the dock, put her arm through it and hung on for dear life," Police Marine Unit Sgt. Angel Romero said.
A man who was jogging by heard her screams and was able to help hold her above water and call 911, Romero said.
"It's pretty amazing," Ramirez said. "She was a quick thinker and basically helped save her own life. . . . And the jogger, he's a hero."
The woman was in the water for 15 to 20 minutes before police and fire department rescuers hoisted her to safety and rushed her to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where she was treated for hypothermia and listed in good condition.
"It's all the more amazing because everyone that goes jogging nowadays has headphones on, but this guy heard her," Ramirez said.
The water temperature of Lake Michigan was about 35 degrees Sunday, Ramirez said.
Initial reports of a jogger falling into the water were incorrect.
A member of the yacht club didn't have any information when contacted Sunday afternoon. He said the club was closed for the winter.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2015. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)