A Good Samaritan very likely saved a life near Montrose Harbor on Monday, and is sharing her story following the incident.
Natalie Pastor was near the lake on Monday when she said she heard calls for help from the water. A man and woman who were in a restricted swimming area near the harbor were pulled from the water by onlookers, and she leapt into action.
“I just did anything I feel like any other human being should do, and that would be jump straight into action,” she said.
Pastor and several others reached over the ledge near the water to help.
“Someone handed me a belt,” she said. “I ended up handing the belt over to the guy in the water and he latched on, and from there we pulled him out.”
A woman who was also in the water was not breathing when she was dragged to the shore, and Pastor began performing CPR.
“After CPR, she took a breath and lit up,” she said. “She was okay, but still unconscious.”
Both individuals were taken to an area hospital for treatment.
According to the Chicago Fire Department, two individuals were in a no-swim area south of Montrose Beach when they were rescued.
It was the second rescue of the day at the beach, with two teens falling into the water after their raft overturned on Monday morning.
One of the teens was rescued, but the other tragically died at an area hospital, according to authorities.
A woman who witnessed the incident shared her story with NBC Chicago.
“It’s traumatizing to see this, and seeing that happen is going to stick with me for quite some time,” she said.
Several other incidents in the area also resulted in fatalities, leading the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project to reiterate its safety recommendations for on-water activities, which can be found on the NBC Chicago app.
