CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: A heroic father of three who survived the 9/11 attacks on New York City's World Trade Center drowned while attempting to save a group of children on a capsized raft. Luke Laidley, 43, had been celebrating the Fourth of July when a tube he was pulling suddenly overturned and left several youngsters struggling in the water near Centennial Beach on Lake Michigan.
Laidley dived into the water right away to save the children, who were reportedly wearing life jackets. Officials said he was under the water for about a minute before he and the children were pulled to safety. Rescuers performed CPR on the father before rushing him to a hospital in Evanston in serious condition, where he passed away around 4 pm, said a report by ABC 7 Chicago. Winnetka Fire Chief John Ripka described the drowning accident as 'tragic,' The Chicago Tribune reported. The fire chief stated that it is still unknown if Laidley had a medical problem at the time that he dove into the water and died.
Who is Luke Laidley?
Laidley was a Chicago native, who graduated from Boston College with a degree in finance before deciding to move to New York City to take his first job with investment bank Morgan Stanley. The investment banking business was the World Trade Center's second-largest tenant. It was Laidley’s second day on the job when two planes struck the towers on September 11, 2001. He was on the sixth floor and managed to leave the building without any mishap. After the unfortunate incident, Laidley returned to Chicago and continued his work in finance.
In Chicago, he finally met Lauren, with whom he had three children: Logan, 3, Lucas, 7, and Vivian, 5. According to his family, Laidley wrote about the close call out of gratitude for being alive after such an unimaginable incident. "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," he wrote. His family described him to the news station as a "family man" who "lived a hero's song" after the 9/11 attacks.
‘He lived a hero's song’
"A true family man to his core, not only with his own wife and kids, but an incredible brother to his 5 siblings, in-laws, and uncle to 17 nieces and nephews," his obituary read. 'His smile lit up the room. He exuded positivity and perseverance in everything he did. He loved deeply and truly with all his heart. Luke lived his life guided by his experiences and he had several that allowed him to bestow compassion, love, inspiration, and leadership to others. He lived a hero's song. His philosophy was to ‘Give of yourself and expect nothing in return. And become part of something that is greater than yourself,’ it continued. True to his philosophy, Luke Laidley was also an organ donor.
