A heroic father of three — who survived the tragic events of Sept. 11 on his second day of working for Morgan Stanley — drowned after he selflessly jumped into Lake Michigan to save children who capsized in a raft on the Fourth of July.
Luke Laidley, 43, was celebrating the holiday and operating a boat near Elder Beach in Winnetka, IL when the raft filled with children overturned around 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, ABC 7 Chicago reported.
Laidley, without hesitation, plunged into the water to rescue some of the children who were struggling to swim.
He spent about a minute submerged before he appeared with the children and was able to get them to safety, Winnetka fire officials told the outlet.
Quickly being pulled back onboard by others, CPR was administered to Laidley before he was rushed by emergency responders to Evanston Hospital in serious condition and was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival.
The Chicago native, described as a “true family man” by his loved ones, leaves behind a wife, Lauren, and three children, ages 7, 5, and 3.
Upon graduating from Boston College, Laidley moved to New York City where he landed his first finance job with the investment banking firm Morgan Stanley in September 2001 — the largest tenant in Tower 2 of the World Trade Center.
On his second day on the job, Laidley’s settling into the hustle of working a finance gig in downtown Manhattan was paused after planes hijacked by terrorists struck the two towers.
Laidley safely evacuated from the 61st of the South Tower, according to the family’s statement.
Thirteen Morgan Stanley employees were killed on 9/11.
The heroic dad wrote about how that day impacted his life going forward.
“‘I encouraged 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,’” his family quoted from Laidley’s account of that day in their statement.
Laidley returned to Chicago and met his wife following the tragedy.
It remains unclear if the father of three suffered a medical emergency while jumping in to save the children or if he succumbed to drowning, Winnetka Fire Chief John Ripka told the Chicago Tribune — calling his death “tragic.”
“His smile lit up the room. He exuded positivity and perseverance with everything he did. He loved deeply and truly with all his heart,” the family shared about Laidley. “A life lived with purpose. A life lived to serve for others. A life lived as a hero.”
