21-year-old woman dies after she and two-year-old boy were pulled from Lake Michigan
MILWAUKEE -- A woman and a child were pulled from Lake Michigan after going into the water near the McKinley Marina on Monday afternoon, March 28th in what police were calling an attempted suicide. Late on Monday, officials with the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed to FOX6 News that the woman passed away at the hospital.
The call for this incident came in around 3:00 p.m.
Police say a 21-year-old woman entered the water while holding a two-year-old boy. Witnesses said it appeared she was attempting to drown herself and the child.
Several fishermen watched as the woman climbed down the break wall and entered the cold water with the child in her hands.
Officer Tobias Golembiewski
Officer Tobias Golembiewski with MPD's Harbor Patrol was first in the water. He pulled the woman and boy to shore.
"The (woman) was located approximately 10-15 feet off the sea wall. The baby was a little bit closer. Just trying to get to them as quickly as I could and get them to my cohorts up on the shore," Golembiewski said.
A witness recorded video on a cell phone, showing the child being carried away from the break wall.
Woman, child rescued from Lake Michigan near McKinley Marina
"It`s heart-wrenching. It makes you feel chills to your bones," Renee Klofanda said.
Neither the woman nor the child had a pulse.
"Both of them were in cardiac arrest when they were removed from the water. We were doing CPR and transported both of them to the hospital," Terry Lintonen with the Milwaukee Fire Department said.
Officer Tim Ptaszek
Police and officials with the Milwaukee Fire Department performed life-saving measures on the woman and child. Both were taken to hospitals.
"Initially seeing the child in the water is always kind of shocking -- but having to revive him, the greatest sound in the world is when he started crying again," Officer Tim Ptaszek said.
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