Officers searching for a suicidal man heard gunshots and quickly rushed to his aid after finding him shot at a forest preserve in Round Lake Monday morning.
The Lake County Forest Preserves Police Department responded around 9 a.m. Monday to Nippersink Forest Preserve, 900 West Belvidere Road in Round Lake, for a report of a missing suicidal person.
The Round Lake Police Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Round Lake Beach Police Department were called to assist in the search.
Round Lake Police Chief David Prus said a Round Lake officer was setting up a drone to aid in the effort.
Officers heard gunshots and the drone operator flew a drone in the vicinity of where the shots were heard.
The officer saw a male subject down on the ground in a grassy area, Prus said.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said a sheriff’s canine team tracked to the man’s location.
Deputies and officers arrived and found the man was suffering from a gunshot wound to his chest and arm.
Deputies and officers applied tourniquets to the arm and a chest seal to his chest to stop the bleeding, Covelli and Prus said.
Prus said officers are trained to “stop the bleed” and carry medic kits with them.
The Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District responded with a UTV and brought the injured man to an ambulance nearby.
He was transported to a local hospital and expected to survive, Prus said.
Covelli said the officers and deputies actions likely helped save the victim’s life by preventing major blood loss.
The Lake County Forest Preserves said the incident was an attempted suicide.
Officials called it an “isolated incident” contained by first responders and there was no threat to the public.