'Hero' Dad of 3 Who Survived 9/11 Drowns Trying to Save Kids During Boating Trip on Lake Michigan
Luke Laidley jumped into the water on July 4 to help rescue children whose tube had flipped over and were struggling to swin
An Illinois man, who was a survivor of the September 11 attacks on New York City's World Trade Center, died earlier this week while trying to save children after a rafting accident.
Luke Laidley’s boat had been pulling a raft carrying several children near Centennial Park Beach on the Fourth of July when it overturned, fire officials told ABC 7 Chicago.
After jumping off his vessel into Lake Michigan to save some of the children who had been struggling to swim, Laidley, 43, reportedly went underwater for about a minute before other people on the boat were able to pull him and the children out.
They performed CPR on the father of three, though he was taken to the hospital in serious condition and later died, ABC 7 Chicago reported.
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Laidley’s family recalled to the news station that he was a “true family man” and someone who “lived a hero’s song” after surviving the Sept. 11, 2001 attack.
They said he had been born and raised in Chicago and graduated from Boston College with a degree in finance before he decided to move to New York City to take his first job with investment bank Morgan Stanley.
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The company had been the largest tenant in Tower 2 of the World Trade Center, and it was Laidley’s second day on the job when the Sept. 11 attacks took place. He had been on the sixth floor and was able to get safely out of the building, per ABC 7 Chicago.
His family said he later wrote of surviving 9/11: "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."
After the tragic event, Laidley moved back to Chicago, where he continued his career in finance and eventually met his wife Lauren, with whom he went on to have three kids: Lucas, 7, Vivian, 5, and Logan, 3.
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“Luke lived his life guided by his experiences and he had several that allowed him to bestow compassion, love, inspiration, and leadership to others. He lived a hero's song,” his family told ABC 7 Chicago.
“His philosophy was to ‘Give of yourself and expect nothing in return. And become part of something that is greater than yourself,’ ” they continued. “A life lived with purpose. A life lived to serve for others. A life lived as a hero.”
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