19-Year-Old Crestwood Woman Pulled From Cal-Sag Channel Dies

ALSIP, IL—A Crestwood woman pulled out of the Cal-Sag Channel Tuesday afternoon has died. She was identified by the Cook County Medical Examiner as 19-year-old Tabarak Al Najjar.

Around 4:30 p.m., Alsip firefighters were called to assist Alsip police with a person possibly in the Cal Sag Channel. A citizen called to report that a woman was leaning over the bridge near 131st Street and Pulaski Road.

While en route, first responders learned that a body was spotted in the water floating west. When Alsip firefighters arrived, a water rescue box alarm was initiated for additional resources, Alsip Fire Chief Tom Stycznski said in an email to Patch.

The Palos Fire Protection District rescue boat was launched from the Alsip boat launch. Firefighters on the rescue boat discovered the woman in the channel. She was pulled from the water and brought aboard, where crews began CPR.

The boat transported the woman to the shore by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District building at 132nd Street and Pulaski Road. The woman was transferred to the shore, where she was moved to an Alsip fire ambulance.

She was transported in critical condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where she was pronounced dead at 5:35 p.m. Styczynski said no one else was believed to be in the water.