Woman drowns while saving her son in Des Plaines River near Libertyville, Illinois, police say
A woman drowned on Sunday evening after jumping into the Des Plaines River at a Lake County forest preserve to save her son.
Angelina Khalimendik, 31, leaves behind a husband and three children – an 11-year-old daughter, a 9-year-old son, and a 7-year-old son.
Lake County Forest Preserves Police said, around 7 p.m. on Sunday, Khalimendik entered the river near the Independence Grove Forest Preserve to help her son.
The river's waters have been deeper and rougher than usual recently following days of rain.
Her husband said she and their kids went fishing while he was out of town, when one of the kids got swept up in the water.
Khalimendik jumped in to save one of their sons. Another family member noticed the struggle and also jumped in to help.
After helping her son reach another family member, police said Khalimendik went under the water. A family member and other people nearby pulled her out.
At that point, her family said she had already gotten too much water in her lungs. A family member tried to perform CPR.
Paramedics treated her at the scene before taking her to Advocate Condell Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
Khalimendik's husband said he didn't make it to the hospital before he learned his wife was gone.
Her children, who witnesses heard screaming for help, returned to the forest preserve on Monday with their father to help show him what happened.
The family said they heard emergency crews arrive in less than two minutes.
Lake County Forest Preserves Police Chief Ron Davis warned the water in the Des Plaines River is more treacherous than it appears after recent storms.
"We've had some very torrential rains the past week, week-and-a-half, so these bodies of water are flooded with not only extra water, but debris, fallen trees, branches, rocks, other things that are under the surface," he said.
An autopsy by the Lake County Coroner's Office confirmed Khalimendik's death was consistent with drowning.
"There's nothing to indicate this was anything more than a tragic accident," Davis said.
