A father and 9/11 survivor died on July 4 after rescuing a group of children near Centennial Park Beach in Winnetka, Illinois. The man, 43-year-old Luke Laidley, jumped into Lake Michigan when the tube his boat was pulling flipped. The tube had several children on it, and Laidley jumped into the water to save them.
Laidley was under water for about a minute before reappearing with the children. Other people on the boat helped him get back on and performed CPR. Winnetka first responders met them at the shore and performed CPR as well, but Laidley died at around 4 p.m. after being taken to a hospital in Evanston, Illinois in serious condition.
His family issued a statement to local media, saying that Laidley was a 9/11 survivor. He started working at Morgan Stanley in 2001 and the terrorist attack occurred during his second day on the job.
Thirteen Morgan Stanley employees died, but Laidley was evacuated from the 61st floor of the World Trade Center, according to his family.
His family quoted him in their statement.
“As a survivor of the [61st] floor of Tower 2, he later wrote, ‘I encourage all of us to count our blessings each and every day. Give of yourself and expect nothing in return. And become part of something that is greater than yourself,’” the family said in the statement.
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In their statement, the family wrote that Laidley's "proudest accomplishment" was being happily married to his wife, Lauren, for almost 10 years. He had three children.
"His true passion in life was being a devoted husband and a loving father," the statement said.
"A true family man to his core, not only with his own wife and kids, but an incredible brother to his 5 siblings, inlaws, and uncle to 17 nieces and nephews," the family wrote in the statement. "His smile lit up the room. He exuded positivity and perseverance with everything he did. He loved deeply and truly with all his heart."
