2 dead after being pulled from Lake Michigan ID'd
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Two swimmers who died after being pulled from Lake Michigan on the South Side Tuesday afternoon have been identified.
Emergency crews pulled the two men from the water near 31st Street Beach about 3:50 p.m., authorities said.
Ali Moufid, 36, of the 1000 block of Mayfield Avenue in Oak Lawn and Otamane Kassou, 40, of the 5200 block of South 73rd Court in Summit, died from the incident, according to police and the Cook County Medical Examiner's office.
Paramedics took them to Mercy Hospital and Medical Center in critical condition, Fire Media Affairs spokesman Will Knight said.
Moufid was pronounced dead at 4:20 p.m. while Kassou died at 4:24 p.m., the medical examiner's office said.
Dozens of emergency responders were called to the scene around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. Divers were dropped by helicopters into the water.
"We got here, it was confirmed there was two people here. We got a very good last seen point from witnesses. We dropped two divers out of a helicopter, and within a couple minutes they found the victims and brought them into shore. They were moved to Mercy Hospital in very critical condition," Deputy Chief Mike Fox said.
Witnesses said one of the victims went in after a bucket floated away and the second man, believed to be the first's man's brother-in-law, went in to try to help. They were about 35 yards out and in 7 feet of water when they got into trouble. A third man went into to try to help the others, but got out safely.
Fox warned that within just a few minutes, the body can start to shut itself down in the lake's current conditions.
Chicago's beaches are closed. They do not open until after Memorial Day Weekend.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
