Reports indicate that a father and his autistic son from Illinois tragically drowned in Lake Michigan over the weekend.
David Amenow, aged 65, and his 20-year-old son, Jamie, were sailing on Saturday afternoon. They had anchored their boat near a sandbar close to Indiana Dunes National Park when they started playing with a ball that eventually landed in the water, as detailed by CBS News Chicago.
In a rush to retrieve the ball, Jamie went after it but soon found himself in deep water. He called out to his father for help, prompting David to leap in.
A good Samaritan managed to pull them from the water, but unfortunately, by then it was already too late.
“Jamie was everything to him,” David’s brother, Daniel Amenow, shared with a local news outlet. He speculated that perhaps something unexpected had happened, leading to the unfortunate drowning.
“Naturally, my brother would try to save his son. He was surrounded by a lot of boats, so I feel a bit more at ease now,” Daniel added.
Both were taken to a hospital around 4:20 PM after first responders performed CPR for over 30 minutes, but they were pronounced dead upon arrival.
According to David Benjamin of the Great Lakes Surfrescue Project, the offshore winds in that area can carry balls further away, which makes drownings all the more likely.
“I’ve seen this before. A ball goes over someone’s head, it gets blown away from the shore, and people chase after it,” he commented.
He pointed out that simply knowing how to swim may not be enough in this situation. “As of July 8, 17 people have died in Lake Michigan this year, and that number could reach 30,” he warned.
Data from rescue projects reflects that 51 drownings occurred in just one of the Great Lakes last year.
In the midst of this tragedy, the Amenow family finds some comfort in knowing their loved ones shared a beautiful bond while doing something they enjoyed together.
“Catching with his dad was his favorite,” Jamie’s mother, Candice Keller Agate, remembered sadly, as reported by WMAQ.
“David truly and deeply loved his son,” she added.
Daniel described his brother as determined and motivated, while fondly recalling his nephew as a bright and caring young man who loved to swim in their backyard pool.
“They were both wonderful people, and my brother was a great dad,” Daniel commented. “I think he was the real hero here.”
An investigation into the events surrounding their deaths is currently underway.
