Chicago Boat Crew Saves Man Who Fell Into Frigid Chicago River

CHICAGO, IL — Passengers and crew on a Wendella boat tour helped save the life of a man who fell from a bridge into the frigid waters of the Chicago River on Friday.

The man went into the water at about 11:30 a.m. from the Michigan Avenue bridge, according to media reports.

“We saw a big splash in front of us, but we weren’t sure. Sometimes we get people throwing books over the bridges, bags, coke cans and stuff, so we weren’t really sure right away,” Joe Ratzek, the
boat’s captain, told WGN. “I was talking to my training captain and I’m like ‘Was that a body?’ He goes, ‘It looks like a bag but it might be a body.’ As soon as I opened up the door, people said someone jumped.”

The boat, which was transporting passengers on an architecture boat tour, was about to dock when the man fell, according to NBC 5 Chicago. Video shows deck hands on the boat coming to the rescue of the the 65-year-old man and pulling him on board from the river.

"He wasn’t breathing, he was face down," one crew member said. "We did have a nurse on board."

Passengers performed CPR on the man, who regained consciousness before paramedics evaluated him.

He was taken to the hospital and was reportedly in good condition, according to media reports.