A man was pulled from the Chicago River downtown by the crew of a tour boat, officials said.
The man was spotted in the river near Clark Street around 3:30 p.m. and pulled onto the boat, fire and police officials said.
The man was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in "very critical" condition, according to the Fire Department.
The taxi, Shoreline Sightseeing’s “Gotta Go Now” water taxi captained by Eric Gierzinski, was involved in the rescue on the river, a spokeswoman for Shoreline Sightseeing said. Anthony Mbanu, a deckhand, spotted the man in the river, said Amy Hartness, the spokeswoman for Shoreline.
Shoreline staff, along with passengers, pulled the man out of the water and Mbanu started CPR while waiting for police and firefighters to arrive, said Amy Hartnett, Shoreline Sightseeing’s director of sales and marketing.
The man, who was wearing a bike helmet and backpack, was unresponsive when pulled aboard, but was responsive by the time police arrived, Harnett said.
Mbanu was sent to Northwestern for observation, because he ingested river water while he was rescuing the man, but his injuries were very minor, Hartnett.
“We are happy our crew was able to assist in today’s rescue. Shoreline crews are trained in water rescue and safety and have been involved in a number of rescues throughout the years,” said Shoreline co-owner Chip Collopy in a statement.
