Overview
- A 31-year-old Hinsdale woman, identified by officials as Angelina Khalimendik, entered the Des Plaines River to help her young son who had been swept into the water and was later pulled from the river and taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.
- A Lake County Coroner’s Office autopsy found her death was consistent with drowning and the Lake County Forest Preserve Police are continuing their investigation.
- First responders from the Lake County Forest Preserve Police and the Libertyville Fire Department responded to the water rescue; family members and bystanders attempted aid before emergency personnel arrived.
- Officials warned that recent heavy rains have left waterways flood-swollen with submerged debris such as fallen trees, branches and rocks, which can trap or overwhelm people who enter the water.
- Khalimendik was a mother of three whose husband was out of town at the time, and her death has left the family grieving while local authorities continue to review the circumstances; public health data cited in coverage note that thousands of U.S. drownings occur annually and many adults lack swimming training.