A woman died after reportedly drowning after successfully saving her son in the Des Plaines River at Independence Grove Forest Preserve in Libertyville Sunday evening.
The Libertyville Fire Department and Lake County Forest Preserves Police Department responded around 7 p.m. Sunday to Independence Grove Forest Preserve, 16400 Buckley Road in Libertyville, for a report of a water rescue.
Multiple fire departments were dispatched with boats and divers but the incident was downgraded after it was reported that the victims were out of the water.
Lake County Forest Preserves Police Chief Ron Davis said a woman had entered the Des Plaines River near Independence Grove.
She was attempting to assist her son in the water.
The woman was successful in helping her son safely reach a family member but soon went underwater herself, Davis said.
A family member and nearby bystanders rushed to rescue her from the water.
Emergency crews arrived and paramedics began treating the woman at the scene.
Fire department radio traffic indicated CPR was being performed on the woman, who was unconscious and not breathing.
Davis said paramedics transported her to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville where she was pronounced dead.
The incident happened in the Des Plaines River, which flows through Forest Preserve property and falls under the jurisdiction of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, according to Lake County Forest Preserves Media & Community Relations Specialist Kim Mikus.
The victim and her family were on Forest Preserves property before entering the river, Mikus said.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office was notified and responded to the hospital to take possession of the victim for an autopsy.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic death in the Des Plaines River near Libertyville on Sunday evening. Our thoughts are with the victim’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” Davis said.
An autopsy was expected to be performed on Monday morning and the victim’s identity has not been released yet.
The Lake County Forest Preserves Police and Lake County Coroner’s Office continue to investigate the circumstances of the incident.